Effect of Extremely Low Birth Weight Babies on Family and the Community
Short-term and Long-Term Impacts
Short-term effects of extremely low birth weight (LBW) babies include the need for special care, high rates of hospital readmissions, respiratory distress, immature brains, and risk of death. These effects have significant socioeconomic implications as the family will be required to pay a lot of money for hospital visits if they do not have insurance. Long-term impacts of extremely low birth weight babies include high risks of cerebral palsy, hearing and visual impairments, and generally poor health and growth.
Contribution of Cultural and Ethnical Disparities to Low-Birth-Weight Babies
Research conducted by Ro et al. (2019) shows that approximately 4 % of white mothers have low birthweight babies compared to 10% of their black counterparts. Ratnasiri et al. (2019) report significant disparities in the prevalence of low birth weight between mothers of various ethnic and racial groups. African-American women have a higher prevalence of LBW than white women. Moreover, other factors, such as maternal parity, determine the birth weight. Primiparous women are more likely to have cases of LBW than multiparous. In some cases, LBW is caused by lifestyle factors that are driven by different cultures. Smoking, drinking, and variations in physical activity and energy intake lead to higher rates of LBW (Xi et al., 2020).
Community Support Service
The best community support service for mitigating the cases of LBW is developing education programs to teach mothers the importance of maintaining a healthy prenatal life. Morris et al. (2020) posit that a mother’s behavior during pregnancy has a significant impact on the health of the child and herself. Having a healthy diet, sufficient physical activity, and medical checkups can reduce adverse outcomes, including LBW. The mothers should also ensure that they meet dietary requirements and engage in safe physical activities that cannot put their lives and that of their children in danger.
References
Morris, T., Strömmer, S., Vogel, C., Harvey, N., Cooper, C., & Inskip, H. et al. (2020). Improving pregnant women’s diet and physical activity behaviors: the emergent role of health identity. BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth, 20(1). doi: 10.1186/s12884-020- 02913-z
Ratnasiri, A., Parry, S., Arief, V., DeLacy, I., Halliday, L., DiLibero, R., & Basford, K. (2019). Recent trends, risk factors, and disparities in low birth weight in California, 2005–2014: a retrospective study. Maternal Health, Neonatology, And Perinatology, 4(1). doi: 10.1186/s40748-018-0084-2
Ro, A., Goldberg, R., & Kane, J. (2019). Racial and Ethnic Patterning of Low Birth Weight, Normal Birth Weight, and Macrosomia. Preventive Medicine, 118, 196-204. doi 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.10.012
Xi, C., Luo, M., Wang, T., Wang, Y., Wang, S., Guo, L., & Lu, C. (2020). Association between maternal lifestyle factors and low birth weight in preterm and term births: a case-control study. Reproductive Health, 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s12978-020-00932-9
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Question 
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.
Effect of Extremely Low Birth Weight Babies on Family and the Community
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.
APA style format with at least two references