Premature babies, or preemies, are born before 37 weeks gestation. The World Health Organization estimates that every year over 15 million babies are born premature. Preterm births are increasing at a staggering rate, in the U.S., nearly 10 percent of babies are born prematurely each year.
The number of low-birth weight babies also superseded previous years in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In fact, the U.S. leads other industrialized countries (130 of them) in the rates of both preterm and low-birth weight babies.
States leading the nation in preterm births include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
My son was born at 28 weeks and just made the cut-off of “very premature”, although he was still a micro-preemie at 1 lb 12 oz. The time spent supporting my son in the NICU was the most trying experience of my life.
Even with the hospital providing information on what to expect, many times I felt a mix of emotions – from isolated and extremely stressed to hopeful and overjoyed at my son’s progress.
The Preemie Post was created to share information and resources that will hopefully help other preemie parents and their families. Take care and blessings to you and your family.
