In 2020, an estimated 13.4 million babies arrived prematurely, and tragically, nearly one million succumbed to complications associated with preterm birth,” revealed a report released on Thursday by UN agencies and partners.
The alarming data corresponds to approximately 1 in 10 babies born globally before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy, a statistic attributed to poor maternal health and malnutrition, according to health experts.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine jointly emphasized the urgency in addressing the issue.
They stressed, “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 as well as prevention efforts – particularly maternal health and nutrition – so as to improve childhood survival.”
Highlighting the long-term consequences, they stated, “For those who live, 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.”
Despite efforts to address maternal health, a disheartening trend emerged – no region worldwide witnessed a substantial reduction in preterm births over the last decade. The annual global rate of reduction from 2010 to 2020 stood at a mere 0.14 per cent.
Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organisation, emphasized the vulnerability of preterm babies, stating, “Preterm babies are especially vulnerable to life-threatening health complications, and they need special care and attention.”
The comprehensive report, titled “National, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth in 2020, with Trends from 2010: A Systematic Analysis,” uncovered significant disparities between regions and countries. Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia bore the brunt, accounting for 65 percent of preterm births in 2020.
In the worst-affected countries – Bangladesh, Malawi, and Pakistan – rates were three to four times higher than in the least-affected countries like Serbia, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.
Contrary to assumptions, preterm birth isn’t exclusive to low and middle-income countries. High-income countries like Greece and the United States also experienced rates of 10 percent or higher.
In response to the grim findings, Dr. Banerjee urged immediate action, saying, “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.”
Maternal health risks such as adolescent pregnancy, infections, poor nutrition, and pre-eclampsia were identified as closely linked to preterm births.
The report stressed the critical role of quality antenatal care in detecting and managing complications, ensuring accurate pregnancy dating through early ultrasound scans, and, when necessary, delaying labor through approved treatments.
Derived from population-based and nationally representative data, the estimates provided internationally comparable country-level insights for 2020.
The authors acknowledged improvements in data on preterm birth prevalence due to increased birth registration and facility-based deliveries. However, they highlighted gaps in 92 countries lacking adequate nationally representative data.
The authors called for a sustained commitment to strengthen data availability and quality, along with increased data sharing. They emphasized that targeted support and action could then be directed where it is needed most.