The Health Assessment Of Infants – assignmenthandlers

Extremely low birth baby is defined as a baby that weighs less than 1000g (2.2lbs) at birth (Siva,S. 2023). Effects of extremely low birth weight baby extends beyond the infants, it can impact the family and the community ranges from

Emotional and psychological impact, parents may experience anxiety , depression, feeling of guilt and inadequacy.

Financial burden, medical care and intervention needed for the new infant may be expensive.

Disruption of family dynamic,caring foe ELBW infant may require time and attention , this will in turn affect the family routine and may affect the ability of family members to work or pursue their career.

Increased health care utilization: ELBW infant may require long term hospitalization and care , this can put additional health care demand on  communities especially the ones with limited access to health care.

Increased risk of chronic health condition, psychological issues (Apa 2017) sensory impairment, neurodevelopmental challenges, growth and nutritional issues, and some medical complications  ELBW infants has the increased risk of developing most of the above listed and the presence of any of the above conditions will affect the family and community at large,

 

Disparities in ethnic and cultural groups can contribute to an increased risk of ELBW infant.

Socioeconomic factors such as poverty, limited access to healthcare , unhealthy living conditions and inadequate prenatal care can increase the risk of ELBW infants.

Healthcare access and quality: Minority groups may be faced with poor health care access , language barriers , discrimination and cultural belief may affect some health seeking behavior.

social determinants of health including employment, housing, housing,and community resources can affect pregnancy outcomes.

 

Support service to to assist with preterm infants and their families at the neonatal intensive care unit will be Family support program. This helps families with emotional support,education and information, parent to parent support , transition support, bereavement support in cases where the preterm infant does not survive.

https://www.marchofdimes.org/our-work/nicu-family-support

 

References

 

American Psychology Association (2017). Low Birth Weight Babies at Higher Risk for Mental Health Problems later in life 0033-2909/17/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000091

 

Siva, A. (2023) Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/979717-overview