Early Childhood

Development
CourseFarhana Khatani

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Goal

 To Enhance the knowledge of brain

Development
In Premature birth .

2
 Objectives
By the end of the session learners would
be able to:
 Define the term “Premature birth”

 Understand the reason of premature

birth.
 Discuss common associated problems
of brain development with prematurity
 Explain the common nutritional
concerns during early ages hindering
growth and development.
 Provide anticipatory guidance to
parents regarding
Nutrition in pregnancy.
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 A Gift from God By
Dianne, Autumn's Grandmother
At first glance
you were so small
I hardy saw a baby at all,
with tubes and wires
a frightening sight
but you were in for a
big fight.
Not even two pounds
just skin and bones,
Your body so small
with problems so big,
but you fought hard
and continued to grow.
So many fears
So many tears
You are home now
and growing big
I love you dear,
more than words can say.
A miracle baby
A gift from God.
You showed the world
You showed4
us all.
 Premature
 Infants who are born before 37 weeks of
estimated gestational age.
 Also called Preemie

 Babies born weighing less

than 5 pounds, 8 ounces

(2,500 grams) are considered
low birth weight.
(About 67 percent of low-birth
Weight babies are premature)
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Factor affecting growth and
development in Utero:

 Insufficiency of Folic acid.

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What is folic acid ?
 Folic acid is a B-vitamin that helps build
healthy cells. During periods of rapid
growth, such as pregnancy and fetal
development
 It helps to replicate DNA, making it
especially important during the early
phases of fetal development.
 Folate deficiency can result in a type of
anaemia called megaloblastic anaemia
which is a blood disorder characterized
by the presence of enlarged immature 7
Cont
 Folate, which is helps to prevent
certain serious birth defects of the
brain and spine and may help to
reduce the risk of having a
premature and low-birth weight
baby.

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What are the risks of Not
taking folic acid?
 The absence of folic acid increases the
possibility of a neural tube defect
(NTD)which are defects in the
development of the spinal cord
 Neural Tube is an important structure
that forms at
the 5th or 6th weeks of pregnancy will
continue to develop during pregnancy to
become the brain and spinal cord. In
week six, openings in the neural tube
close. If these openings do not close
properly, abnormalities called Neural tube
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Abnormalities of the spinal Cord is Spina
bifida (Myelomeningocele)
The most common permanently disabling
birth defect
In this baby's spinal canal remains open along
several vertebrae in the lower or middle back.
Because of this opening, both the membranes
and the spinal cord protrude at birth, forming a
sac on the baby's back. Tissues and nerves are
exposed, making Neurological Impairment .

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Spina bifida may have some
of the following symptoms:
 hydrocephalus: a build-up of
cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, which
causes the brain to swell
 paralysis
 Problems, controlling their bowel
movements
 learning disabilities
 mental retardation
 developmental delay 11
Reduce the risk of having a
low- birth weight baby:
Each year 3- 4 hundred thousand infants
worldwide are born with spina bifida . The
prevalence is approximately 1-5 per 1000
live births and the risk of recurrence is 2-
3%. More than 95% of cases are
contributed by the first affected
pregnancies .
(Tele Health Research group , Oct 2005).

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Dietary recommendations
for folate

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Caution:
 Birth Weight alone is an
adequate measure of Fetal
Growth

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References

 Maroney, D.I. (2003). Recognizng the

Potential Effect of Stress and Trauma on
Premature Infants in the NICU: How
Outcomes are Affected? Retrieved on
April 6, 2005.
 National Survey of Pakistan 1990-94.
Islamabad: PMRC, 1998.
 Wald NJ. Folic acid and the prevention of
neural tube defects. N Engl J Med 2004.
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Than
k You

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