Parkridge Hospital raises awareness on premature birth in November

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Throughout the month of November, Parkridge Medical Center is raising awareness on Premature birth. 

 “The month is just designed to raise awareness about prematurity, as far as risk factors for prematurity and mothers, ways for them to avoid those or mitigate those. To some extent,” said Dr. Danie Kahn, Parkridge East Hospital

 Prematurity or preterm birth is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of the completed pregnancy. 

 Dr. Kahn explains the importance of raising awareness of premature birth. 

 “The more people understand the risks of prematurity, the toll that it can take on babies and families, the better understanding that we can have to hopefully lower those risks as well as celebrate those families that have gone through that and be able to support them, both emotionally and potentially otherwise,” said Dr. Kahn. 

 Mothers with multiple newborns like twins or triplets, high blood pressure, and chronic conditions are more at risk for premature birth. 

 Dr. Kahn shares tips on how mothers can manage and lower these risks.

 “Please, please go see your visa regularly during pregnancy, making sure you have your regularly scheduled prenatal visits early prenatal to catch conditions that may arise, even if you were completely healthy before,” said Dr. Kahan. “Obviously, when you are pregnant, the whole body changes, and so new things can arise, and so they can manage these things and hopefully lower those risks. “

 In order for mothers to have a safe and successful birth, Doctor Kohn says having a healthy lifestyle is key. 

 “Definitely talking about your exercise program with your OB to make sure what’s appropriate with you everyone is different than what they start pregnancy with, right? And so making sure we healthy exercise, water, watch our caffeine and sugar intake for me probably the days that I would take away from that,” Dr. Kahn concluded.