VOA标准英语2009年-Numbers of Premature Births Rising

By Carol Pearson
Washington, D.C.
08 October 2009

 
A premature¹ infant getting specialized² hospital assistance after birth
A new study shows that more than a million babies die each year because they are born too soon, and that the highest rates of preterm births are in Africa followed by North America. VOA looks at the causes and sometimes devastating³ results of being born prematurely⁴.

Losing a baby is not supposed to happen. Dianne Lovett lost twins. "It's very hard to lose a child," she said between tears.

Parents of some 13 million preterm babies born around the world face the uncertainty⁵ of whether their babies will live long enough to go home from the hospital.

Chris Hausen, with the March of Dimes⁶, an organization to that promotes healthy births, says nearly 10 percent of all babies are born prematurely, and preterm births account for nearly one-third of newborn deaths. "In this report, we document for the very first time the global toll⁷ of preterm birth which is just severe and remarkable⁸ to us,” he told us. “We're talking about 13 million babies born every year preterm. Over a million of those dying every year as a result of being born preterm."

 
Chris Hausen, March of Dimes
Hausen says the number of preterm births is increasing. More than 85 percent of the world's early births happen in Africa. "Probably the factors that contribute to the high rates in Africa are mired⁹ in the poverty in the region and the weak health systems. The fact that women are malnourished before pregnancy¹⁰ and during pregnancy, they (also) have high rates of infectious diseases," Hausen explained.

In the United States, the reasons are quite different: more women over the age of 35 are having babies. They are also more likely to use in-vitro fertilization, a procedure which can result in multiple births and a greater likelihood these babies will be born prematurely.

Experts say every week a baby stays in the womb makes a difference. At 24 weeks gestation¹¹, nearly 50 percent of preterm babies can survive. At 25 to 26 weeks, the survival rate goes up to 70 percent.

But there is more at stake than just a successful delivery. Nine-year-old Heather Croy was born at 24 weeks, weighing less than three-quarters of a kilogram. "I lived. And, they thought I'd die – but that wasn't going to happen," she said defiantly¹².

Heather speaks softly because her vocal¹³ cords were damaged by the breathing tube she had for three years. But she does not have complications that other premature babies often experience: learning disabilities and serious lifelong health problems such as cerebral¹⁴ palsy, blindness and hearing loss. 
Currently, there is no reliable way to prevent a preterm birth. But the March of Dimes says a lot can be done to reduce the rates of death and disability.

The report's authors say more needs to be done to educate health care workers, policy makers¹⁵ and women themselves about high risk pregnancies¹⁶ and caring for pre-term babies.

1 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

2 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 dimes   

n.（美国、加拿大的）10分铸币( dime的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins. 1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In 1965 the mint stopped putting silver in dimes. 1965年，铸币厂停止向10分硬币中加入银的成分。 来自辞典例句

7 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

11 gestation   

n.怀孕；酝酿

参考例句：

• The gestation period can be anything between 95 and 150 days.妊娠期从95天至150天不等。
• This film was two years in gestation.这部电影酝酿了两年。

12 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

14 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

15 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。