A new report by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that 152 million vulnerable babies are born too soon in the past decade with millions of premature birth yearly.
The new report revealed on Wednesday, was done in partnership with agencies including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), with its Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).
According to the UN report, there is need for concerted efforts to swiftly improve children’s health and survival in what is termed as a “silent emergency” claiming one million tiny lives born premature, each year.
“An estimated 13.4 million babies were born premature in 2020, with nearly a million dying from pre-term complications, according to Born too soon,” the report partly reads.
The report gave clear outlines of strategy to address the menace, stating that preterm birth rates have not changed in any region in the world in the past decade.
The UN report showed that 152 million vulnerable babies are born too soon from 2010 to 2020.
In its definition, UN explained that ‘preterm births occur earlier than 37 weeks of an expected 40-week full-term pregnancy.’
Leading cause of child deaths
According to Steven Lauwerier, Director of Health at UNICEF, preterm death is a leading cause of child deaths terming it as “a trail of loss and heartbreak”.
With more than one in five of all deaths of children occurring before fifth birthday, preterm survivors can face lifelong health consequences, with an increased likelihood of disability and developmental delays.
Lauwerier said: “Despite the 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 devasting.”
“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.”
The report also found that the place of birth of a child also determines their survival. In low-income countries, only 1 in 10 preterm babies survive compared to 9 in 10 in high-income countries.
On his own part, Executive Director of PMNCH, Helga Fogstad advocated for working in partnership and bringing the issue to the forefront of national health.
“By working together in partnership – governments, donors, the private sector, civil society, parents, and health professionals – we can sound the alarm about this silent emergency,” she said.
From the UN report, Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates of preterm birth, accounting for more than 65 per cent of global cases.
Surprisingly, air pollution has been estimated to contribute to six million preterm births each year with more cases in fragile countries.
Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO, stressed that quality care is imperative in improving child’s survival.
“Ensuring quality care for these tiniest, most vulnerable babies and their families is absolutely imperative for improving child health and survival.”
UN and its agencies, including the UN Population Fund, WHO, and UNICEF, are calling for actions to save lives, boost newborn health and support improvements in quality of care.