Postterm baby: signs, causes, terms of gestation, possible consequences and developmental features of the baby

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is a wonderful and amazing period in the life of any woman in anticipation of a small miracle. However, there are situations when a post-term baby is born. Our article is devoted to this topic.

What are the known causes of post-term pregnancy? Why is the baby born later than expected? More on this later in the article.

First, let's define what a post-term pregnancy means. This is when the period of bearing a child dragged on for two weeks after the appointed time. Obstetricians and gynecologists also call such a pregnancy “belated”.

Don't worry about this, because in many cases it does not harm both the child and the mother. Mostly it ends with a safe delivery without any bad consequences.

Reasons

It is impossible to determine the exact gestational age, it also happens that doctors can make a mistake. Why is the baby overdone? The reason for this outcome is still unknown andvery difficult to study. In many situations, it can be passed down the hereditary line. Therefore, it is necessary to study the female line of the family as much as possible.

Often in life there are such cases when a woman has several post-term pregnancies, and this is already a pathology.

Second post-term pregnancy. Causes and pathologies

In the case when a woman has a second post-term pregnancy, it is not harmless. Therefore, it is worth taking this situation seriously. It is said that the subsequent postterm baby is associated with functional disorders of the uterus due to the inflammatory process, for example, abortions or other surgical interventions were previously performed.

Such a pregnancy can end in a normal natural birth, and in the worst case, a caesarean. A post-term pregnancy does not affect the woman as significantly as the fetus itself. The development of the baby directly depends on the placenta, through which oxygen and nutrition are supplied.

The placenta, in turn, can perform its functions only for a certain time, which is 40 weeks. After that, the production of the necessary resources for the growth of the fetus is depleted, and the baby does not receive the substances he needs. The placenta has the property of aging, as a result of which the post-term baby develops further, becoming larger, but at the same time losing the ability to adapt.

There are situations when the placenta can age before the expected delivery date. Such a complication may appear from 27 to 32 weeks.

Delivery at 42 weeks. What's up with the baby?

How long does a baby take? The reference time starts after the 42nd obstetric week. A late pregnancy can proceed normally, and as a result, the child will be born completely he althy without any abnormalities. In such situations, obstetricians call the pregnancy "prolonged", that is, exceeding the term. It is said that sometimes a child simply needs more time for his self-development, as a result of which the gestation period goes longer than the allotted time. This kind of pregnancy is considered physiological and not pathological. Often it does not last longer than 2 weeks.

When the fetus is fully mature and continues to be in the womb in accordance with the norm of the term, the pregnancy is referred to as "overripe". Although at the same time, the child has some indicators of postmaturity, and childbirth cannot occur on its own or is difficult. In order to figure out what kind of pregnancy it is, it is necessary to examine the condition of the baby with the help of special equipment and correlate it with the duration of pregnancy. The study of the fetus is carried out thanks to ultrasound scanning.

Delayed pregnancy does not involve long-term medication. Because with poor development of the fetus, its subsequent stay in the negative conditions of the mother's womb is not a good solution. The outcome of such a pregnancy is decided by surgery.

Complications

Such complications of late pregnancycan be divided into:

1. Associated with violation of the birth process.
2. Adverse consequences for the child.

In modern medicine, special diagnostic centers and methods have long been created to eliminate potential threats to mother and baby.

Postterm baby. Signs of similar

Signs of a post-term baby are as follows:

1. Low water. The amniotic fluid protects the baby from the outside world and gives him freedom of movement. In addition, the amniotic fluid during a post-term pregnancy changes color and smell. Due to meconium excretion, the fetus can become infected. Water pollution can provoke the development of brain hypoxia.
2. Transforming hormone balance, including lowering estrogen.
3. Deficiency of oxygen and nutrients in relation to the fetus, in other words - placental insufficiency. This condition leads to the development of such a syndrome as diastress. Can cause the death of a baby inside the womb.
4. The cervix is not mature enough for the baby's due date.
5. The labor activity of the organs is weakened.
6. The skin of a pregnant woman loses its elasticity and firmness, becomes flabby.
7. The belly is reduced by approximately 5-7 cm.
8. Breast milk comes out.
9. The bottom of the uterus is far away, especially with a large baby (often happens when a post-term baby).
10. A pregnant woman loses weight by about one kilogram.

Postterm baby. Consequences for the mother

In addition to the fact that late pregnancy increases the risk to the he alth of the fetus, overdue pregnancy is also bad for the mother. The consequences for the woman giving birth are as follows:

1. Bleeding may start after childbirth.
2. The tissues of the vagina, perineum and cervix can be severely torn due to large fetuses and ossification.
3. Permanent activity is weakened, so the process of childbirth can last about a day.
4. Problems that are associated with the exit of the child from the uterus. As a result, one has to resort to surgical techniques, such as an incision in the perineum.
5. Great loss of blood.
6. Increased risk of infectious complications.
7. Premature abruption of the placenta.
8. Weakness.

Consequences for the child

What are the consequences for a child with a post-term pregnancy? In the future, it is mainly determined that the baby has a delay in physical, mental, and speech development. Diseases such as attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, epilepsy may appear. Post-term babies often suffer from severe excitability, cry constantly, often spit up, do not gain weight, do not sleep well.

The list of consequences for the fetus can include the following:

1. Jaundice of a pronounced type. A large amount of bilirubin in the blood, which is manifested externally by the yellow color of the epidermis, mucous membranes. The type of disease is inherent in manynewborn babies. It is considered normal when jaundice resolves within one week. In a post-term baby, it can turn into a pathology, it is necessary to constantly monitor the pediatrician and the neurologist.
2. Meconium aspiration. Severe respiratory disease due to ingestion of masses of meconium. A newly born baby has difficulty with breathing function. There are wheezing, changes in the chest. Urgent treatment required. It happens as follows: from the mouth and nasopharynx of the child, its contents are sucked off using a certain apparatus. There is a risk of asthma in the future.
3. Injuries during childbirth. When childbirth takes place at the 41st or 42nd week, there is a high probability that the soft tissues of the internal organs, joints, bones and central nervous system of the child are injured. The most serious injuries are brain damage to the head. Further, there is a decrease in the sucking and swallowing reflex, there is a failure in the regulation of body heat, frequent regurgitation and vomiting, trembling of the limbs, and muscle spasms. Such children are constantly crying, they have a strong excitement. In the future, you may encounter the development of neurotic conditions. The child may lag behind in intellectual development. There are also convulsive seizures, mental and psychological disorders, expressed by a deficit of emotional characteristics.

Prolonged pregnancy with a scar on the uterus. Consequences for the mother and her child

Prolongedpregnancy with a scar on the uterus, for example, that appeared from a caesarean section or from another surgical intervention. In such a situation, the consequences are as follows:

1. Amniotic fluid breaks prematurely.
2. Danger of uterine ruptures.
3. Bleeding.
4. Baby asphyxia.