My life has always been a bit hectic, but it was especially so on the day I was born. My parents were on a road trip on their way to Florida from Wisconsin. My mom, being only 6 months pregnant, didn't think traveling would be an issue. Little did they know, just as persistent and impatient as I am now, I thought that this day would be the perfect day to make my entrance into this world. My mother had to be flown in a helicopter to the closest hospital which happened to be in Cincinnati, Ohio where they had a brand new preemie ward built.
My intended birth date was supposed to be January 19th, ironically my mother's birthday, but I chose October 19th instead. Being prematurely born three months early, I came out at a whopping 2 lbs, 4 oz, and 13 inches. Being as small as I was, I made a pretty big entrance. Fortunately, I was very healthy and actually breathing on my own.
The question I've always wondered is why was I so premature? The specific cause of premature labor is unknown. Some direct it towards medical risk factors such as uterine/cervix abnormalities, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, clotting disorder, etc. Others appoint it to lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, drinking, drug usage, domestic violence, stress, low income, etc.
Pinker would probably agree with the medical outlook, as he is pro biology-and-genetics-determines-everything. He would probably concur that my mother was prone to premature labor because it lay somewhere in her genetic makeup. He would also add that premature labor is one of the factors of adaptations to survival in the evolutionary theory and from this, premature babies have a lowered chance at surviving.
Lewontin, taking an opposite view, would agree that environmental factors are key to premature labor. He would argue that not everything lies within the lines of science. The relationship between the environment and a person's life is very important in the nature of the developing human.
Elliot may look more closely at the definition of premature labor and what that entails. He may look at how premature labor is presented in the media and how that effects mothers-to-be.
I don't really know the cause of my premature birth; all I do know is that I am thankful that I am a happy, healthy human being that I didn't end up with any chronic birth defects.
How do you think being labeled as "premature" has affected the rest of your life? I was born two weeks late and my parents remind me that I like to make people wait for my grand entrance. Even being an insignificant, friendly accusation, I think it has affected my personality.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting question. I guess I am a pretty impatient person when it comes to some things, but I think a huge trait of mine is procrastination. But this could also be looked at as in 'i do things on my own time'. If I were born on the actual date, or month for that matter, I would have been in a completely different year, most likely changing my school starting date to a year later.
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