The President of the Nigeria Society of Neonatal Medicine, Dr. Mariya-Mukhtar Yola, has blamed excess work for premature labor and births among pregnant women.
She disclosed this in Abuja on Sunday. Pregnant women must, therefore, be cautious and avoid carrying heavy equipment or engaging in heavy-duty activities.
The advice came on the heels of the celebration of World Prematurity Day, annually commemorated on Nov. 17, to raise awareness about issues surrounding premature babies and how to tackle them.
The theme of the 2023 commemoration is “Small Interventions: Big Actions, Skin-to-Skin Care for Everyone and Everywhere.”
Yola said pregnant women must always take good rest and attend antenatal care, as well as adhere to advice from medical professionals and experts.
She, however, added that some pregnant women with a naturally weak womb and with the mouth of the womb not as close as it ought to be could result in premature labor.
She added that such pregnant women, when identified early at the hospital, could be helped as the mouth of the womb could be closed to enable the baby to stay longer to complete the term, which is ripe for delivery.
The expert disclosed that premature babies face lots of challenges because they were born too soon and too small to cope, adding that their major challenge had to do with their body and their incomplete development.
She said such babies tend to have long, immature breathing problems at birth and as they grow because their immunity is not properly developed.
She noted that due to this, such babies are usually prone to infections and illnesses, adding that in most cases, they find it difficult to suck or swallow effectively, a situation she said causes them feeding problems.
She said, “Such babies are also sometimes prone to jaundice. “My advice, therefore, is that every pregnant woman must learn how to look after herself. Once you know what you are expecting, please eat well, eat right, have good quality food, make sure you have time for yourself to rest, and do not do excessive heavy work.
“Pregnant women must also avoid heavy labor activities because all these things predispose them to premature labor; and go for regular antenatal care because when such a complication of womb opening is detected, doctors and nurses will advise on what to do.”
