Wednesday 26 March 2008

Premature birth risks

We've always known that there were many short-term risks for babies born prematurely, but new research suggests that some of these health risks may carry on into adulthood.

This may be of particular interest to anyone going through fertility treatment, as the question of whether to put one or two embryos back is often a difficult one for patients. Of course, everyone wants the best possible chance of getting pregnant, but at the same time, the risks associated with multiple pregnancy cannot be denied.

Prematurity is the greatest danger for twins and triplets, and this new research suggests that those born before 37 weeks may face long term complications throughout their lives even if they don't seem to have any immediate problems. The teams from Duke University Medical School and Bergen University found that the earlier you are born, the higher those health risks will be.

You can read more about the study at www.dukemednews.org

No comments: