Labor and Delivery
The onset of regular and frequent contractions commences
the labor phase of pregnancy. In an ideal circumstance, a baby
is carried beyond 38-weeks—to full-term—and the infant is
delivered vaginally. A healthy pregnancy increases the chance
that a pregnancy will be carried to term.
An unhealthy pregnancy (a pregnancy affected by complications or risk behaviors) may lead to
preterm birth and/or low birthweight. By definition, birth before 37 weeks is “preterm”: birth
between 34 and 36 weeks is considered “late preterm” and “very preterm” births occur before
32-weeks gestation.^19 A low birthweight diagnosis requires a baby to be born weighing 5 lbs. 8 oz or
less (2500 g).^20
Top 3 Neonatal Complications18, 21
Jaundice: A common condition in which the newborn’s liver is not developed enough to process billirubin, causing the baby to
appear yellowish. Newborns with jaundice require monitoring because high billirubin levels can cause brain damage.Anemia: A blood disorder caused by insufficient red-blood cells for carrying oxygen to the organ tissues. Anemia can lead to
stunted growth in neonates.Sepsis: A rare but serious infection usually caused by bacteria originating in the lungs, intestines, urinary tract, or gallbladder.
If left untreated, the infection progresses rapidly leading to organ damage and death.There are approximately
4 million live births in the
United States each year.