One in Ten Births Premature and Prone to Problems
Nearly one in ten births worldwide is premature, and one million deaths - more than one quarter of all neonatal deaths annually - are the result of preterm birth. These are interesting numbers, but surely that's in poor nations, isn't it? Well, yes and no.
"A White Paper on Preterm Birth - the Global and Regional Toll, recently released by the March of Dimes Foundation, says "the regional toll of preterm births," defined as before 37 weeks (full term is about 40 weeks), "is particularly heavy for Africa and Asia, where over 85 percent of all preterm births occur."
But, it notes, the rate of such births has been rising wherever information on trends is available. And while the highest rate of preterm birth is in Africa, second is, surprisingly, North America (Canada and the United States combined). Then come Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; Oceania (Australia and New Zealand); and Europe.
In the U.S., the rate of preterm birth has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years, with most of this coming in late preterm births (between 34 and 36 weeks gestation).
These numbers are based on data from the United World Health Organization and the Paper is also supported by Save the Children, USA and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
The Paper says prematurity in rich countries is caused by different things than prematurity in poor countries. It notes that wealthy countries - like ours - have sophisticated neonatal intensive care units for the earliest babies. Because of this technology, babies that once would not have survived now do. But these children often have birth injuries - lifelong problems including blindness, cerebral palsy and learning problems.
One of the next steps planned by the White Paper's participating organizations is to study the care women, both in rich and poor areas, receive. If they can figure out the causes of preterm labor, many of which are still obscure, then they can develop strategies that lead to improved care for women with high-risk pregnancies and for premature babies.
If they can strengthen the care pregnant women receive, this will likely lead to fewer preterm deliveries and, as a consequence, fewer birth injuries.
The Paper is part of an increasing focus on preterm birth; there's a lot still to be learned,
Michael Kosner, President
The Kosner Firm Chtd.
