Kelsey Burton’s tiny arm was the length of her mother’s finger when she was born in 2003.
Weighing only 1 pound, 12 ounces, Kelsey arrived after only 28 weeks, 3 days of gestation.

A normal pregnancy is 40 weeks.

Kelsey’s mother, Stacie Burton of Kevil, described caring for her premature newborn as a roller coaster of emotions. The infant was on a ventilator for a week and remained hospitalized for three months.

These days it would be hard to tell Kelsey struggled through her first few months. She is now a healthy first-grader “smart as can be, and full of energy and personality,” her mother said.

Health officials and volunteers are working together to prevent as many premature births as possible, with hope for healthier babies.

Dr. Pamela Hodges, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, is helping lead the way as president-elect of the Kentucky Perinatal Association.

Determining what causes some women to go into premature labor is not easy because so many factors may be involved, Hodges said. They range from maternal obesity to smoking, higher rates of multiple births, stress timing and even poor oral hygiene.

Part of the problem may be that pregnant workers in the United States are often expected to continue their level of productivity until they deliver their babies.

Many factors can affect births Determining what causes some women to go into premature labor is not easy because so many factors may be involved, said Dr. Pamela Hodges, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. Factors range from maternal obesity to smoking, higher rates of multiple births, stress timing and even more oral hygiene.

“We don’t treat our pregnant women differently than we do anybody else,” Hodges said. “There are third-world countries that have less premature labor than we do.”

Another factor may be that some women in the United States schedule a pregnancy induction or Cesarean section a week or more early for their convenience. Since the American College of Obstetrician-Gynecologists first began allowing convenience as a factor in scheduling in 1998, the average American pregnancy has decreased by one week, Hodges said.

She is particularly concerned because doctors are only beginning to learn that babies born only a week or two premature can have long-lasting health concerns, including poor grades in school and a correlation with higher rates of attention deficit disorder.

Katrina Thompson, state program services director for the March of Dimes, said organizers have developed a statewide campaign called Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait to encourage postponing delivery until 40 weeks unless it’s a medical necessity.

The pilot program combines smoking cessation and nutrition classes with a support group of pregnant women who discuss health issues. The program debuts at Western Baptist as well as hospitals in Louisville and Bowling Green next year. Western Baptist will also host a prematurity summit for health officials at the hospital Nov. 12.

Contact Shelley Byrne, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8667.