Premature Birth
Premature birth is the leading cause of childhood mortality in the world today
What is premature birth?
Premature birth describes all babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In the UK, a
baby is generally considered viable if it is born at 24 weeks, yet their chances of survival
are only 50%.
The key statistics about premature birth
- In the UK, 60,000 babies are born preterm every year.
- Premature birth affects around 15 million babies across the world each year.
More than 1 million of those babies die before they are 5. - 61% of children born before 30 weeks have one or more disabilities and
developmental challenges. This can range between cognitive, behavioural,
motor and neurological development. - Children born before 34 weeks are more likely to have poorer reading and maths
skills. Preterm children are more likely to experience difficulties with working
memory and hand-eye coordination. - Parents of very preterm babies are at greater risk of developing post-natal
depression. - In 2006, the cost of preterm birth on the public sector was around £3 billion.
Health economists at Oxford University indicated that if we can prolong all
pregnancies destined to deliver preterm by a week, we can save the NHS over
£260 million a year. - 85% of women who go into early labour have no idea they are at risk
- Despite past efforts, there have been no new treatments introduced in the last
50 years, and too little is invested in medical research to make childbirth safer.
Research has the power to prevent premature birth
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