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Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Adult outcomes of preterm birth
Casey Crump1, Kristina Sundquist2, Jan Sundquist2
1Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health and of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
Improved preterm birth survival increases adult risks for chronic diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. Greater physician awareness is crucial for lifelong patient care and public health. (34 words)
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Public Health
- Adult Medicine
Background:
- Advances in preterm birth treatment lead to more adults born prematurely.
- Improved survival is linked to increased risks of chronic adult diseases.
Discussion:
- Physicians lack awareness of long-term health risks for preterm survivors.
- Current patient care does not reflect the known risks associated with preterm birth.
Key Insights:
- Preterm birth survivors face higher risks for respiratory, cardiovascular, kidney disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Multidisciplinary experts emphasize the need for physician education on adult outcomes of preterm birth.
Outlook:
- Increased awareness is vital for proactive patient identification and management.
- The growing population of preterm survivors necessitates policy changes and improved healthcare strategies.
- Addressing long-term health effects of preterm birth is critical for future public health.
Abstract:
Because of remarkable advances in the treatment of preterm birth, physicians increasingly encounter adult patients who were born preterm. However, research now shows that improved early survival may come at the expense of future health risks, including increased respiratory, cardiovascular, and kidney disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, this knowledge is not yet reflected in patient care. The NIH recently convened a conference of multidisciplinary international experts who called for better awareness among physicians regarding adult outcomes of preterm birth, which is critically needed for enabling them to identify and provide better care for these patients across the life course. This Letter aims to promote awareness of this issue among physicians in order to inform long-term patient care and policy. The continued high (~10%) prevalence of preterm birth and unprecedented numbers who are surviving into adulthood mean that the long-term health effects will have a growing clinical and public health impact in the future.
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