| All Preemies
are born to substance -abusing, uneducated, low socio- economic teenage
mothers. |
Preemies are born
to healthy, non-drug-using mothers of all classes who received complete
prenatal care and were well-educated on pregnancy. |
| Premature birth is
rare. |
Eleven (11%) percent
of all births are premature. THIS IS ONE IN TEN women! More
than 50% of twins and 90% of triplets are born premature. |
| Prematurity does not
affect YOU. |
A conservative
estimate of the total cost of care for infants and children born at a low
birth weight is $6 BILLION, exceeding the annual cost of AIDS. |
| Preemies are just
smaller-sized babies. |
While a preemie may
appear to be a smaller-sized version of a full-term baby, their bodies
do not function as a full- term baby because they are immature and are
still developing. |
| All preemies catch
up. |
While many preemies
do eventually reach their milestones, it is often a slow process that is
assisted by early intervention, therapy and medical assistance. |
| Parents of preemies
"get over" their pre-term birth once their child comes home. |
Most parents deal
with resolving the emotional aspects of this incredibly intense trauma
for months and years after the birth. |
