Essay - Psychology Literature Review Introduction Babies Who are Born 'Too Soon'...

Psychology

Literature Review

*****

Babies who are born "too soon" or "too small" are at risk for many complications (Allen, 2003). These babies that are born ***** ***** are called premature or preemies; they are ***** bef*****e the 36th week of gestation. Those that weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds are "too small"; *****y are ***** dysmature. The implications for disabilities vary for these two groups.

In a prem*****ture infant, body systems or physical characteristics are often underdeveloped. In most cases, the more premature, the ***** developed (Allen, 2003). ********** is less muscle tone; the respiratory system (ability to breathe) is not fully developed; the brain may not be ready to control breathing yet; and an immature nervous system may inhibit the feeding process. The baby ***** also experience jaundice (a yellowing of tissue because the liver is unable to regulate ***** secretion of bilirubin), hypoglycemia (too little glucose in the blood), *****d hypothermia (an ********** to maintain body temperature because there is a lack ***** insulating fatty tissue). Advanced medical procedures can manage ***** factors in many ***** infants, but careful monitoring (typically in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU) is needed until the child's body ***** mature enough to function on its own.

According to Carter (199*****): "Following discharge from the Ne*****atal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), children born very prematurely can be expected to differ from healthy full-term babies in many aspects of their development. Most *****ably, the ***** of ***** preterm babies follows more closely expectations for age "corrected" for prematurity than for actual age. Even when compared with other ***** of their corrected age, however, most children born more ***** a few ********** e*****rly will have at least some additional developmental differences associated with prematurity during infancy. While developmental differences for most children born prematurely are benign and will eventually resolve, some ***** these differences can be ***** with long-term problems. In some cases, long-term difficulties can be minimized by helping families and professionals to better understand the underlying conditions which influence the child's development."

In dysmature *****, ***** chances of respira*****ry distress are reduced, but the baby may still experience hyp*****mia, hypocalcemia (lack of calcium in their *****), and ***** (Allen, 2003). The *****cidence of developmental disabilities is higher in low birth-weight babies. Dysmaturity ***** ***** likely in babies whose mothers had poor nutrition during pregnancy, or were chronically ill, and adolescent mothers are at higher ***** ***** low birth-weight babies.

For infants who have experienced respiratory distress and required ventilation, many ***** develop an eye condition ***** could lead to severe visual impairment (Allen, *****). Retinopathy of ***** (ROP) occurs most *****ten in premature ********** born at 23-28 weeks gest*****ion, or in those weighing ***** than 1000 grams (approximately 2 pounds 3 ounces).

After the dangerous first weeks of a premature baby's life pass, ***** vast maj*****ity ***** preemies grow healthily and normally (Stanway, 1997). Most low-birth weight babies catch up ***** their peers quickly. However, ***** ***** weight babies ***** likely to