Understanding Stillbirths

When conceiving mothers receive the heart breaking news about their baby found dead in the womb, they get overwhelmed by grief. The can go from a happy anticipation of their child`s birth to a very painful moment of their death.

If the death of the fetus occurs after the 20 weeks of pregnancy, then that is what is referred to as stillbirth. According to biology articles, many stillbirths occur before child labor while others are experienced during labor and delivery.

Causes of Stillbirths

Scientific research proves that there are known causes of the condition. The common causes are-:

1. Infections

Infections involving the expectant person, placenta of fetus result to 10-25% of stillbirths. They cause fetal death before the 28^th week of pregnancy. They include viruses (parvovirus infection), urinary tract, and genital infection.

2. Accidents in the Umbilical Cord

Research shows that umbilical cord accidents cause 3-5% of stillbirths. If the cord is abnormally placed in the placenta or a knot is present in the cord, then it leads to the death of the fetus since it is deprived of oxygen.

3. Birth Defects

Research shows that 15-20% of stillbirths have one or more birth deficiencies.  Some are caused by chromosomal disorders like, Down syndrome while others result from environmental, genetic as well as unknown sources.

4. Placental Problems

They cause 25% of stillborn babies. Placental abruption is a common cause of the condition. In this case, the placenta peels away from the uterine wall before the baby is born.  This can result to heavy bleeding and can threaten the life of the mother as well.

5. Poor Growth of the Fetus

Slow fetus growth increases the risk of stillbirths. Women with high blood pressure or cigarette smokers experience slow fetal growth. Ultrasound is important in this situation as it shows how poorly the fetus is growing and enables one to carefully monitor it.

Prevention Measures

• Avoid alcohol, smoking or buying street drugs. Any prescriptions should be authorized by your doctor.
• Report sharp pain, vaginal bleeding and leakage.
• If you happen to have experienced a previous stillbirth, then close monitoring should be done during the pregnancy.
• Monitor the activity of your baby around 28 weeks for high risk pregnancies.
• If you are past your date of delivering, then consider discussing that with your doctor. Pregnancies longer than 42 weeks may at risk for experiencing still births.
• Always request opinions during the pregnancy to ensure that your mind is at ease.

Teenage Pregnancies

Most adolescent girls do not plan to get pregnant, however, some do.  Scientific research shows that teens are more likely to face extra health problems to both the baby and the mother compared to adults.  Teenage pregnancies can have weighty effects on the life of the teens.  Parents should therefore help their daughters to comprehend the risks, options and challenges that stay ahead of them.

Causes

Peer Pressure

According to biology articles, teenagers tend to experience the pressure of making friends and wanting to fit in. Mostly, their friends influence their decisions to have sex even when they do comprehend the consequences associated with it.  Teenage girls have sex to feel sophisticated and cool and in most cases they end up getting pregnant.

Teenage Drinking

Abusing alcohol can lead to teenage pregnancies. They do this to experiment and this can lower their ability to control impulses leading to unplanned pregnancies.

Rape or Sexual Abuse

Teenagers report that they became pregnant as a result of adult assault. Approximately 80% of the babies fathers are aged 30 years and above.

Absent Guardians

Teenagers who do not receive guidance from parents are more likely to become pregnant. Other parents are often busy to guide and support their girls. What they fail to understand is that their teenagers need to make good decisions on issues related to sex.

Lack of knowledge

Young girls who are uneducated about sex are more likely to have unplanned pregnancies. Others do not comprehend the emotional and biological aspects associated with the act. Mostly, they lack the knowledge required to make responsible and informed decisions about whether to or not to involve themselves in sexual activities.

Ways of Preventing Teenage Pregnancies

Abstinence

Teenagers should be helped to abstain until they are old enough to make informed decisions.

Contraception

This simply means using chemical and mechanical methods to prevent pregnancy. Teenagers should be helped to understand the difference methods of contraception as they are all designed to prevent pregnancies. They include oral contraception, sterilization, dual protection, injections among others.

Communication

Parents play the biggest role in influencing teenagers decisions about relationships, love and sex compared to their peers. Therefore, they should ensure that they begin communicating about sex during the early life of the teenage as this is important.

Discourage steady, frequent, and early dating.

According to peer reviewed journals, group events involving teenagers are a good idea of letting your girl broaden their minds. However, dating before 16 should be discouraged as it can lead to trouble. Ensure that your teenager knows about your preference about it throughout their childhood.