VOA慢速英语2009年-Development Report - Simple, Low-Cost Ways

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
　
A premature¹ baby in a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey

We talked last week about a new report on preterm births -- the leading cause of death in newborn babies worldwide. Each year an estimated thirteen million babies are born too soon. More than one million of them die as a result of their prematurity². Yet experts say many early births can be prevented.

The report came from the March of Dimes³ and the World Health Organization. Christopher Howson is the vice⁴ president for global programs at the March of Dimes, a nonprofit group. He says there are a number of simple, low-cost interventions⁵ that can improve the chances of a full-term birth.

CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: "We should treat malnutrition⁶ in women both before and doing pregnancy⁷. We should treat infections that increase risk. We should monitor pregnancies⁸ carefully for signs of trouble. And should that baby be born preterm, we should care for that baby by providing a package of interventions that have been shown to be tried and true and very effective."

For example, there are programs in Africa that teach the skin-to-skin method, also known as kangaroo care. Mothers learn to carry preterm babies in front instead the traditional African way of carrying a baby, on the mother's back. Skin-to-skin helps keep a preterm baby warm. The direct contact also makes it easier for the baby to breastfeed.

Most preterm births take place in Africa and Asia. But rates in the United States have increased by more than one-third in the last twenty-five years. This is largely the result of more births in older women and more use of fertility treatments.

Alan Fleischman is the medical director of the March of Dimes. He was among a group of medical experts who met in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The group met to develop a quality improvement plan for dealing⁹ with the problem in the United States. Doctor Fleischman says there is concern especially about rising numbers of what are known as late preterm births.

ALAN FLEISCHMAN: "Those are the babies who are born between thirty-four and thirty-seven weeks gestation¹⁰. Those are the fastest increasing numbers of prematures. In fact, they are responsible for seventy-two percent of all prematures in America."

The rise of these births may be linked to increased use of drugs to start or speed up labor¹¹ and more births by Cesarean section. Doctor Fleischman says the group strongly advises against these interventions before thirty-nine weeks unless medically necessary.

The experts also say doctors need to work with pregnant women to do a better job of estimating exactly when a pregnancy began.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

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 prematurity   

n.早熟，过早，早开花

参考例句：

• Associated anomalies and prematurity significantly influence the mortality rate. 并发畸形与早产儿显著地影响死亡率。 来自辞典例句
• Prematurity may also result in visual impairment or blindness. 早产也可导致视力障碍或失明。 来自互联网

3 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

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

6 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

7 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。

8 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。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 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。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。