A new report released on Wednesday said that
an estimated 13.4 million babies were born preterm in 2020, with
nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications.
The report was released by United Nations agencies and partners.
According to the report it is equivalent to around 1 in 10 babies
born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) worldwide.
“Born too soon: Decade of action on preterm birth, produced by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) together with PMNCH.
“The world’s largest alliance for women, children, and adolescents,
sounds the alarm on a “silent emergency” of preterm birth, long
under-recognised in its scale and severity.
“This is impeding progress in improving children’s health and survival,” it said.
The report contained updated estimates from WHO and UNICEF, prepared
with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, on the
prevalence of preterm births.
It said that overall, it found that preterm birth rates have not
changed in any region in the world in the past decade, with 152
million vulnerable babies born too soon from 2010 to 2020.
“Preterm birth is now the leading cause of child deaths, accounting
for more than 1 in 5 of all deaths of children occurring before their
fifth birthday.
“Preterm survivors can face lifelong health consequences, with an
increased likelihood of disability and developmental delays.
“Building from a landmark report on the topic in 2012, this new Born
too soon “decade” report provides a comprehensive overview of the
prevalence of preterm birth.
`It also has a profound impact on women, families, societies and
economies,’’ it said.
According to the report, too often, where babies are born determines
if they survive.
The report noted that only 1 in 10 extremely preterm babies (<28
weeks) survive in low-income countries, compared to more than 9 in 10
in high-income countries.
“Gaping inequalities related to race, ethnicity, income, and access
to quality care determine the likelihood of preterm birth, death, and
disability, even in high-income countries,’’ it said.
The report said that Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the
highest rates of preterm birth, and preterm babies in these regions
face the highest mortality risk.
It said that together, these two regions account for more than 65 per
cent of preterm births globally.
The report also highlights that the impacts of conflict, climate
change and environmental damage, COVID-19, and rising living costs are
increasing risks for women and babies everywhere.
“For example, air pollution is estimated to contribute to 6 million
preterm births each year.
“Nearly 1 in 10 preterm babies are born in the 10 most fragile
countries affected by humanitarian crises, according to a new analysis
in the report,’’ it said.
It said that maternal health risks, such as adolescent pregnancy and
pre-eclampsia, are closely linked to preterm births.
According to the report, this underlines the need to ensure access to sexual
and reproductive health services, including effective family planning,
with high-quality care in pregnancy and around the time of birth.
It said that the past decade has also seen a growth of community
activism on preterm birth and stillbirth prevention, driven by
networks of parents, health professionals, academia, civil society,
and others.
The report added: “Throughout the world, groups for affected families of preterm birth
have been at the forefront of advocating for access to better care and
policy change and supporting other families.
“Leading up to the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference,
in Cape Town, South Africa from 8-11 May,
“WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and PMNCH are calling for the following actions
to improve care for women and newborns and mitigate risks from preterm
births.”
The report said they called for increased investments: mobilising
international and domestic resources to optimize maternal and newborn
health, ensuring high quality care is provided when and where it is
needed.
They called for accelerated implementation which means meeting country
targets for progress through implementing established national
policies for maternal and newborn care.
Also, for integration across sectors means promoting education through
the life cycle; supporting smarter economic investments, with
co-financing across sectors.
They called for strengthening climate adaptation responses across the
life-course; and advancing the coordination and resilience of
emergency systems.
It said for locally-driven innovation: Investing in locally-led
innovation and research to support improvements in quality of care and
equity in access.
Prof. Joy Lawn, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
co-leads, ‘Born too soon: decade of action on preterm birth (2023) and
Born too soon (2012)’, said the following:
“This new report shows that the cost of inaction over the last decade
was 152 million babies born too soon.
“While some regions are more affected, preterm birth threatens health
progress in every country.
“Greater investment in the care of vulnerable newborns can save
millions of families from heartbreak.
“More work is also needed to prevent preterm birth, which will also
improve progress in reducing stillbirths and maternal deaths.
“Together these twin tracks of preterm prevention and care will
produce healthier individuals and societies to deliver on economic and
social development.
“ Our next generation depends on us all acting now. The investment
may not be small but the returns on this investment will be major for
every country.”
Dr Nahya Salim, Tanzania: Born Too Soon co-author and national lead of
Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies 360 said that there was
no need for silence.
“We now have in our hands the devices and the knowledge to change
outcomes for our most vulnerable newborns.
“I am proud to see my government now investing and committed to
implementation across even rural areas.
“The next decade can and must be different for those facing preterm
birth here and everywhere,’’ Salim said.
Dr Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and
Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO said there was the need to improve
child health and survival.
“Ensuring quality care for these tiniest, most vulnerable babies and
their families is absolutely imperative for improving child health and
survival.
“Progress is also needed to help prevent preterm births — this means
every woman must be able to access quality health services before and
during pregnancy to identify and manage risks,’’ Banerjee said.
Steven Lauwerier, Director of Health, UNICEF said that after every
preterm death was a trail of loss and heartbreak.
“In spite of many advances the world has made in the past decade, we
have made no progress in reducing the number of small babies born too
soon or averting the risk of their death.
“ The toll is devastating. It’s time we improve access to care for
pregnant mothers and preterm infants and ensure every child gets a
healthy start and thrives in life,’’ Lauwerier said.