As we know, there have been myriad research studies over time that have had significant positive impacts on the lives of children and families. I could spend an infinite amount of time detailing them all for you, but I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to dive into a fantasy world where I possess the means and knowledge to conduct research on any topic, and that I am not restricted by any present realities. In this instance, I would choose to research the topic of premature birth. While we know many causes of premature birth, and ways to prevent it, we do not know everything. According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 9 babies (11.5%) born in the U.S. in 2013 were premature. This is unacceptable for such an advanced country. I would research more about the causes of premature birth, ways to prevent it, and how to provide infants with the best supports possible when they are born too early. I see the effects of extreme prematurity every day, and know that these children received care in a neonatal intensive care unit for months following their births, yet they still struggle with completing everyday tasks. By preventing premature birth in the first place, we can give our children a much better start in life. Children will be more on track developmentally, and parents will be less stressed about finding, accessing and affording the care their child requires.
References
http://www.marchofdimes.com/
Celeste,
ReplyDeleteThis topic you have chosen hits such a note with me. My daughter was born very premature and it was because of medical treatments that she is developing healthy now. She spent four and a half months in the hospital and I would not wish that experience on anyone. I would also like to know what else we can do in such a developed country to help prevent these premature births. These babies deserve to develop until full term, not spend months in the hospital.
Celeste,
ReplyDeleteNearly 33 years ago, my baby brother was born two months prematurely. He was in the NICU at the University of Michigan for two months, and went back into the hospital for difficulty breathing after only a few short weeks at home. Nowadays, the advances in treatment and technology has certainly decreased the infant mortality rate for preterm babies; however, it is clearly evident that it is still a pressing issue faced by many families in the United States. I wish you well on your journey in researching a meaningful and relevant topic. :)
Pamela
Celeste,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your creative post. It was quite interesting to read. I had no idea that premature birth was still so common and would agree that finding ways to minimize the likelihood of that occurring would be amazing!!!
Penny