One in 10 babies worldwide are born early — report
It is understood that no region of the world has significantly reduced rates of preterm births over the last decade.
Around 65% of preterm births in 2020 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. (AFP)
NewVision Reporter
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_____________________________ A nurse intervenes in a neonatal service to carry out a check-up EEG on some premature babies. The EEG enables the development of the brain to be monitored
An estimated 13.4 million babies were born early — that is, before 37 full weeks of pregnancy — in 2020, a study published in the Lancet on Thursday said.
That statistic is equivalent to around one in 10 of all live births being preterm.
The detailed study was put together by authors from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, according to a news release by WHO.
The UN health agency said that since prematurity is the leading cause of death in children’s early years, there is an urgent need to strengthen both care for preterm babies and prevention efforts – particularly maternal health and nutrition — to improve childhood survival.
For those who live, the statement said, preterm birth also significantly increases the likelihood of suffering major illnesses, disability and developmental delays, and even chronic diseases as adults like diabetes and heart conditions.
It is understood that no region of the world has significantly reduced rates of preterm births over the last decade.
The annual global rate of reduction in preterm births between 2010 and 2020 was just 0.14%, according to WHO.
“Preterm babies are especially vulnerable to life-threatening health complications and they need special care and attention,” said Dr Anshu Banerjee, the director of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and aging at WHO.
“These numbers show an urgent need for serious investment in services available to support them and their families as well as a greater focus on prevention – in particular, ensuring access to quality health care before and during every pregnancy."
The latest paper is a systematic analysis of national, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth in 2020, with trends from 2010.
It revealed large disparities between regions and countries.
Around 65% of preterm births in 2020 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, where over 13% of babies were born preterm, the study said.
The rates in the worst affected countries — Bangladesh (16.2%), Malawi (14.5%), and Pakistan (14.3%) — are three or four times higher than those in the least affected countries — Serbia (3.8%), Moldova (4%) and Kazakhstan (4.7%).
The data shows that preterm birth affects families in all parts of the world and is not just an issue in low and middle-income countries.
Rates of 10% or higher occur in some high-income countries such as Greece (11.6%) and the USA (10%).
WHO said maternal health risks, such as adolescent pregnancy, infections, poor nutrition, and pre-eclampsia, are closely linked to preterm births.
As such, quality antenatal care is critical to detect and manage complications, ensure accurate pregnancy dating through early ultrasound scans and if needed, delay labour through approved treatments.
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