Describe the effect of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and community.

Consider short-term and long-term impacts, socioeconomic implications, the need for ongoing care, and comorbidities associated with prematurity.

Explain how disparities relative to ethnic and cultural groups may contribute to low-birth-weight babies.

Identify one support service within your community to assist with preterm infants and their families and explain how the service adequately addresses the needs of the community or a population in your community.

Provide the link to the resource in your post.

The Health Assessment of Infants-Sample Solution

Effect of Extremely Low Birth Weight Babies on the Family and Community

Birth weight below 2500 grams is considered low regardless of the gestational period. Low Birth Weight (LBW) indicates maternal health, nutrition, healthcare delivery quality, and poverty. It increases the chances of death and morbidity immediately after birth and non-communicable illnesses throughout the lifespan. LBW also increases the likelihood of developing complications and dying 20 times more than for normal infants (KC et al., 2020).

Additionally, LBW infants are more likely to develop severe conditions like cognitive deficits, motor delays, cerebral palsy, and behavioural and psychological issues (KC et al., 2020). These defects increase the cost of caring for LBW babies for the family and the community. The household and health system costs increase, necessitating the need to address the burden of LBW. The family also suffers from changes in operational dynamics associated with severe conditions of LBW and challenges linked to delayed neuropsychological developments of these infants. Frequent psychological support is recommended for parents, particularly mothers, of LBW infants.(Family-effects of extremely low-birth-weight babies Essay-Example)

How Disparities Relative to Ethnic and Cultural Groups may contribute to Low-Birth-Weight Babies

Racial and ethnic disparities are considered risk factors for LBW and subsequent infections, complications, and death immediately after delivery. Studies indicate that women born outside the United States are at a reduced risk of having LBW infants than most native counterparts, regardless of controlling for typical pregnancy complications (School of Public Health, 2017). Filipino, Asian Indian, and non-Hispanic black women report more cases of LBW, about 6.8 to 7.6 percent. Chinese, Koreans, and non-Hispanic white women report the lowest cases, about 3.4 to 3.7% (School of Public Health, 2017). According to Ro et al. (2019), these patterns relate to health factors like maternal education, smoking, prenatal care adequacy, and pregnancy complications resulting from obesity, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and sociodemographic factors like poverty.(Family-effects of extremely low-birth-weight babies Essay-Example)

Support Service

A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Support office within the community offers support services for families and babies dealing with preterm birth, congenital disabilities, surgical and genetic conditions, and many other diagnoses associated with pregnancy complications. Families in this program receive the support and education needed to deal with these challenges. The program adopts evidence-based interventions and different online and in-person resources for infants in NICU and during the transition home. The service adequately addresses the needs of the community and population through education programs for NICU families and staff and quality improvement through family-centered care and annual Patient Experience Projects. It also offers dinners and holiday events to help parents bond with their babies and establish a community during the transition home. (Family-effects of extremely low-birth-weight babies Essay-Example)

Link to the Resources: https://www.marchofdimes.org/nicu-family-support

References

KC, A., Basel, P. L., & Singh, S. (2020). Low birth weight and its associated risk factors: Health facility-based case-control study. PloS one, 15(6), e0234907. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234907

Ro, A., Goldberg, R. E., & Kane, J. B. (2019). Racial and Ethnic Patterning of Low Birth Weight, Normal Birth Weight, and Macrosomia. Preventive medicine, 118, 196–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.10.012

School of Public Health. (2017). Racial and ethnic disparities in low birth weight differ by maternal birthplace. https://sph.washington.edu/news-events/news/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-low-birth-weight-differ-maternal-birthplace