TIMELY RECOGNITION OF BIRTH RISKS AND NEONATAL OUTCOME
Ormisson A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Objective: to present
an overview over the presently available subjects in regard to the timely
recognition of birth risks and neonatal outcome. In regard to the
availability of cohorts for practical clinical consequences and possibly
preventive actions in antenatal and birth care, they have to be based on
sufficiently large numbers to allow statistical evaluation. Furthermore,
studies on the effects of socio-economic variables on health, morbidity and
mortality of newborns are often associated with difficulties of a
conceptual or methodological nature. During last twenty years, when
perinatal and infant mortality rates had reduced considerably, determinants
have shifted from economic factors to health care indicators. Such cohorts
have in general to be based on the linkage of clinical and social, as well
as on maternally linked birth and infant mortality data - a procedure not
available to the necessary extent in many countries.
Special
attention will be given to timely prevention of premature births. It is
based on a selection of teaching-contents, including life-style,
health-visiting, nutritional- and medication-advice, drinking and smoking
for pregnant women. Among the reports given the following subjects will be
included:
Predictors
of prematurity and its repetition.
Neonatal
outcome of intrauterine growth restriction and fetal macrosomia.
Vaginal
infection and prematurity.
Adverse
effects of severe anaemia in pregnancy.
Smoking
during pregnancy and perinatal outcome.
Neonatal
outcome can markably be improved by early recognition of risks and timely
interventions.