It is estimated that 13.4 million babies were born prematurely (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) in 2020 – which represents about 1 in every 10 of all live births – according to a detailed study published in the Lancet by authors from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
As prematurity is the leading cause of death in the early years of children’s lives, there is an urgent need to strengthen both care for premature babies and prevention efforts – particularly maternal health and nutrition to improve child survival. For those who survive, premature birth also significantly increases the likelihood of suffering from serious illnesses, disabilities, and developmental delays, and even chronic diseases in adulthood, such as diabetes and heart conditions.
As with other major trends relating to maternal health, no region of the world has significantly reduced the rates of premature births in the last decade. The global annual rate of reduction in premature births between 2010 and 2020 was only 0.14%.
“Premature babies are especially vulnerable to life-threatening health complications and need special care and attention,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO: “These numbers show an urgent need for serious investment in available services to support them and their families, as well as a greater focus on prevention – particularly ensuring access to quality healthcare before and during every pregnancy.”
About 65% of premature births in 2020 occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where more than 13% of babies were born prematurely. The rates in the most affected countries – Bangladesh (16.2%), Malawi (14.5%), and Pakistan (14.3%) – are three to four times higher than in the least affected – Serbia (3.8%), Moldova (4%), and Kazakhstan (4.7%).
Premature birth is not only a problem in low- and middle-income countries, however, and data clearly shows that it affects families in all parts of the world. Rates of 10% or more occur in some high-income countries, such as Greece (11.6%) and the United States of America (10%).
Maternal health risks, such as teenage pregnancy, infections, malnutrition, and pre-eclampsia, are closely linked to premature births.
Source: World Health Organization