If a woman should go into labor before thirty-seven weeks of gestation, the baby born at that time is considered to be premature. In many cases premature infants tend to have some form of heart impairment arising from heart disease or defect. The incidence of heart malfunction in premature babies is rather alarming.
Premature infants do not have fully formed organs, and because of this the baby has to be cared for in a neonatal nursery or neonatal intensive care unit until such time as they have developed and strengthened enough to continue living without medical support. However premature infants suffer from many other symptoms, not only heart disease. Some common symptoms are hyaline membrane disease, poor ability to feed, inactivity, enlarged clitoris in females, small scrotum in males, weak cry, body hair, breathing apnea as well as many others.
Treatment
Heart disease in premature infants is not completely avoidable although there are treatment protocols that may be followed to treat this. These premature infants are unable before 34 weeks gestation, to suck and swallow at the same time, so many are fed by a tube inserted into the stomach or in very small infants into a vein.
Complications
Complications in premature infants may not necessarily be related to the premature birth but there are many serious complications that can occur as well as heart disease. Some of these are hyaline membrane disease, retinopathy, low blood glucose, bleeding in the brain, jaundice, anemia, growth retardation as well as mental-motor and developmental retardation.
Prevention
There is absolutely no way for a woman to prevent premature labor and the delivery of a premature infant. But there are ways to ensure you are taking the correct steps to minimize the chances of this happening. One of the most important is to receive good prenatal care early and continue throughout the pregnancy. Statistics do indicate that early, proper and continued prenatal care make a huge impact on reducing the odds of giving premature birth and its related risks and deaths.
During pregnancy it is also extremely important to take care of your own health as well. It is vital to eat nutrient rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, daily exercise and drink adequate amounts of water. Although the combination of premature infants and heart disease is a serious situation, with modern medical technology and better methods to lessen the chances of occurrence, the chances of pulling out of this medical quandary are getting better with each day.
Heart Disease In Children
It is amazing that few people are aware that a child can suffer from heart disease. Many people think that heart disease only affects the aged. Heart disease is a very serious problem and child heart disease is in fact a relatively common ailment worldwide. Child heart disease or congenital heart defects are recognized as one of the most widely known birth defects of all. There are statistics to prove that worldwide nearly one percent of all babies born are affected by some form of heart malfunction. These infants are usually diagnosed as having child heart disease upon examination by their pediatrician at birth. Sometimes this is usually referred to as a heart murmur.
Information About Child Heart Malfunction
A child's heart might have a slight abnormality that may not even be noticeable at birth and therefore it might be difficult to detect any heart malfunction. But normally if a child has a heart defect there is a small hole in the wall of the heart that allows oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to move from one side of the heart to the other. This causes the infant to have either blue fingers or lips.
A problem that might also be experienced is an abnormal heart valve. The consequences are that the blood flows through the heart in the wrong direction. This type of child heart malfunction usually calls for surgery but this is normally performed when the child is older.
What A Heart Murmur Is
A heart murmur is the sound made by the blood flowing through the heart. This sound has been described as akin to the sound of water flowing through a hose. Heart murmurs occur frequently in infants, many are harmless, but others may create serious health risks for the child.
A heart murmur is a common sign of the evidence of child heart malfunction. In many instances the heart murmur is referred to as being 'innocent' or 'functional'. Naturally parents do become extremely worried when the term is used to describe their child's ailment. But a heart murmur does not necessarily mean that there is anything seriously amiss with the infant.
It was reported in the news recently that strokes are increasing in the young. The percentage of young people between the age of 22 and 45 who had a stroke in 2005 is up 7.3% from 1993 to 1994 when it was only 4.5%. What really seems to be distressing about this,is that many of those who sought medical attention were misdiagnosed. One young 18-year-old who was experiencing numbness in his arm was diagnosed as being intoxicated. The truth of the matter, he was having a stroke. Unfortunately strokes in the young are not as uncommon as once thought.
Heart Disease Begins in Childhood
We now know that heart disease begins in childhood and unfortunately in many Americans it is well advanced by the age of 30. Many aggressive kinds of heart disease occur in individuals who have a total Cholesterol under 200. Autopsies done on soldiers killed in the Korean war revealed that 3 quarters of them had significant atherosclerosis in the arteries of their heart. A Study done on Vietnam casualties revealed much the same but the atherosclerosis was not as severe. You would hope that this study was showing that people were taking better care of themselves.
However another study was done in the 1990's on young people killed by homicide our accident. The findings were depressing. 80 percent of the young people who were of the average age 26 had significant atherosclerotic lesions in their coronary arteries. Recent studies showed that 10 to 30 percent of boys and girls already have coronary arteries that are covered in foam cells. Foam cells are the cells that began the formation of plaque. By age thirty-five 20 to 50% of the surface area of the artery is covered with these foam cells. So what are the risk factors we need to be aware of? What is behind the increase in strokes among the young? Some of the possible reasons for the increase in strokes among young adults are risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease. This would suggest that the younger population is not taking care of themselves with regard to their eating habits and lifestyles. An increase in obesity correlates with the higher chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. Of course, diabetes and heart disease are major risk factors for strokes.
What are the risk factors associated with strokes?
According to the American stroke Association high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. Cigarette smoking is also an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system, especially the arterial lining. Diabetes is in itself an independent risk factor for a stroke. Many people who have diabetes also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight. This increases your chances of having a stroke even more. Poor diet is also another risk factor for heart disease. Diets high in sodium make for an increase in blood pressure. Diets with excessive calories can contribute to obesity and provide no real nutritional benefits. Did anyone say "Fast-food"? On the other end of the spectrum, it is suggested that a diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce the risk factor. Physical inactivity is also a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Being inactive, obese or both can increase the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol diabetes heart disease and stroke.
Education is the Cure
Unfortunately heart disease and it's realated problems will end the lives of more people than all other diseases combined. The reason for this is that the majority of people are still unaware of how to avoid it. Most of the public recognizes that the risk for heart disease increases with bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. Other factors include diabetes, obesity and a poor diet increase the risk factors for heart disease. Another important fact with regard to the disease is that the earlier the intervention that one takes with regard to heart disease the better chance an individual has of overcoming it. The Framingham study, the largest study to date on heart disease tells us that the average LDL cholesterol of all people who have a heart attack is only 150. What is important to recognize with regard to this is that LDL cholesterol is made up of many particles and it is those particles that carry the most risk for heart disease. The real threat comes from when cholesterol oxidizes. Oxidize cholesterol magnifies its ability to maim and destroy. The key to prevention of heart disease is educating oneself with regard to the risk factors personally involved, knowing the right diet for the individual, knowing the right exercise and what supplements if any to take.
While the American Heart Association and health professionals are working to increase awareness of heart disease in women, not all women are getting the message. Those who are missing this vital information? Women in their thirties, who don't realize that heart disease is very real for threat for them. While these young women believe that they're too young for heart disease, this is not the case. Risk factors often begin when women are in their twenties. The disease continues to develop over time.
Here are some of the frightening statistics for younger women
• One in every three women over age 20 suffer from some form of heart disease.
• 35,000 women in the U.S. under the age of 55 have heart attacks each year.
• Twice as many women than men under the age of 50 die from heart attacks.
Risk Factors For Younger Women
Some of the common risk factors for younger women include the obvious ones: smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity; along with a sedentary lifestyle. Metabolic syndrome is another common risk factor for women of all ages. This is actually a group of factors which includes abdomen fat, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high triglyceride levels.
However, there are hidden risks as well. These include: high blood sugar during pregnancy, a history of missed periods by age 35, and low levels of vitamin D. A recent news report also listed depression as a major risk factor for heart disease in young women. In fact, according to a new study, women under the age of 55 who suffered from depression doubled their chance of having a heart attack or other form of heart disease.
How Young Women Can Protect Themselves
Women can begin protecting themselves from heart disease while in their twenties. This protection starts with a visit to their primary care doctor. This is particularly important if a woman has a family history of heart disease and heart attacks.
The visit to a doctor should include a heart wellness exam. This includes a blood cholesterol test (starting at age 20), blood pressure check, heart rate, body mass index and waist measurement. Knowing where you stand can motivate you to make lifestyle changes if needed.
Lifestyle modifications for young women
Cut back on sugar: it can increase artery-clogging triglyceride levels and decrease your HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Don't start smoking, and quit if you do smoke. This is extremely important if you take birth control pills. The combination of smoking and the pill can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Avoid secondhand smoke as well.
Eat foods that are on the "healthy" list: whole-grains, beans and other legumes, brightly colored vegetables and fruits. Don't forget fatty fish, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These include salmon, halibut, tuna, and sardines. Avoid the nasty trans-fats found in highly processed foods, fried foods, and store-bought baked goods. Eating healthier and limiting your sodium intake can also lower blood pressure levels and help you avoid or manage diabetes. It also improves cholesterol levels.
Learn to love exercise and physical activity. Once you find out what exercise can do for you, you'll find it easy to love. Exercise is a great way to reduce the risk of heart disease. It also boosts our energy, lowers blood pressure, and improves our mental health. A current study shows that running, even just for short periods of time, (5 to 10 minutes a day) is a particularly good way to avoid heart disease. Add strength training to an exercise program for additional heart benefits.
Take vitamin D supplements if you have low levels of this vitamin. A vitamin D deficiency can be discovered through a simple blood test.
Visit your doctor if you think you're suffering from depression. Prescription medications may help. Adding therapy may provide you with the additional benefit of being able to talk about issues you are facing. Regular exercise will also help reduce depression.
Why is it so important for young women to take care of their hearts? It's because heart disease is the number one killer for women of all ages. One in four American women die of some form of heart disease each year, and more women than men die from heart attacks. But women can, and should, fight back; by making necessary changes to save their hearts, and their lives.
A research team headed by the University of Bristol conducted the study, which is the first of its kind, on more than 5,000 kids. They paid special attention to levels of insulin, glucose and cholesterol, as well as blood pressure levels.
What they found was startling - obese children as young as 15 already begin to display the symptoms of heart disease. Furthermore, children who are obese between the ages of 9 to 12 begin to display the risk factors for the disease, including elevated cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
When the study began, the children who were the subject of it were aged between 9 and 12, and 18 per cent of them were medically considered overweight, with 5 per cent classed as obese. Research demonstrated that the kids, who were still fat when they reached the age of 15, were much more likely to have these key indicators of future heart disease.
Of those aged between 15 - 16, 29 per cent displayed high systolic blood pressure (the pressure exerted by the heart when it beats), and 3 per cent experienced elevated diastolic blood pressure (the pressure between beats). However, the children who had shed excess weight before they reached 15 through diets for children displayed less risk, especially the girls who were part of the study.
The researchers concluded that girls who go from being overweight to a healthy weight between childhood and their mid-teens as a result of diets for kids virtually eliminate any of the potential health hazards. However, boys who do this display an intermediate risk factor.
The results of the study are published as an expert claims that a mother's diet while pregnant has a significant impact in countering the current epidemic of overweight children. This is more important than later diets for children.
At a conference on childhood obesity in Queen's University, Belfast, Professor Peter Bundred asserted that good nutrition for a child starts in the first months of pregnancy, and lambasted the fact that many pregnant women gain too much weight and mothers choose not to breast feed their children. He stated:
"They put on too much weight in pregnancy and have a big baby. Everybody says wonderful, a big bouncy baby that then goes on to formula feeds, which is the wrong nutrition."
"It's the most common nutrition but that doesn't mean it's right. Mammals are called mammals because they have mammary glands. They are there to feed the babies of mammals.
"The child then continues in the environment of too much food."
Professor Bundred thinks that the key to tackling the escalating problem is a strategy which educates and supports mothers. He highlighted the fact that not much is done to enable mothers to breastfeed in the workplace, and called for more privacy and facilities to enable them to do so. Failing to do this means that many women give up breastfeeding.
The conference also touched upon the delicate subject of the intervention of social services in cases where the child's wellbeing is at risk.