Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : May 30, 2016 2:38 PM IST
The dangers of premature birth are many. Developmental delays, brain damage, cardiovascular disease are few of the many. A recent study had also said that babies born preterm are at a risk of autism too. Now, a study has found that premature babies are at more risk of osteoporosis. The scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have found that premature babies are at an increased risk of having brittle bones, and the low-birth-weight makes them more likely to suffer from osteoporosis.
They explain that, during the last few weeks of gestation, the mother's body transfers calcium to the foetus to boost its bone development. And when the baby is born preterm, the transfer gets interrupted which leads to brittle and weak bones later in life. The researchers also found that adults who were born prematurely have lower peak bone mass than adults who were born full term. Also, adults who were born small for their gestational age also had a lower bone mass than adults who were born with normal weight at their term. (Read: Prevent osteoporosis with this calcium-rich South Indian diet for vegetarians)
The results were presented recently at the 2016 European Congress of Endocrinology in Munich. (Read: Are you at risk of suffering from osteoporosis?)
What puts your baby at risk of premature birth--
Pre term birth --
A study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynaecology revealed that people who are born preterm are more likely to give birth to pre mature babies. The researchers found that out of the study sample, 13% of women born before 37 weeks of gestation gave birth prematurely at least once compared to 9.5% women who were born full term. The researchers believed that these finding could help doctors warn expectant mothers of premature labour so that they can be vigilant and respond quickly if contractions occur.
Late pregnancy--The right age to get pregnant is between 22 to 30 years. As you age, your body goes through various hormonal changes that increase your risk for premature delivery and other pregnancy-related complications. Read more about things that increase your risk of giving birth to a premature baby.
Photo Source: Shutterstock (Image for representational purpose only)
