World Prematurity Day

Wear purple on Thursday

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, for the first time, the complications of pre-term birth outranked all other causes as the world’s number one killer of young children. Of the estimated 6.3 million deaths of children under the age of five in 2013, complications from pre-term births accounted for nearly 1.1 million deaths. These new findings, published in the Lancet and then publicized worldwide on World Prematurity Day on November 17, brought more attention and urgency to global initiatives to address pre-term birth.{{more}}

Premature birth is a very serious health problem. Worldwide, 15 million babies are born pre-term and more than a million die as a result. Babies who survive often have lifelong health problems, such as cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities.

Celebrated internationally on November 17, World Prematurity Day (WPD) acknowledges the journeys of pre-term infants and their families, as well as raises awareness of the challenges faced by children born pre-term and their families. This is ever so important as the incidence of pre-term birth, worldwide, is increasing rapidly. Sadly, as previously mentioned, the complications of pre-term birth are among the leading causes of death in children under five. All infants born pre-term require immediate and significant medical care, posing unexpected challenges – emotional and financial – to their parents and family system.

A premature birth is a birth that takes place more than three weeks before the baby is due. In other words, a premature birth is one that occurs before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy. Normally, a pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks.

Premature birth gives the baby less time to develop in the womb. Premature babies, especially those born earliest, often have complicated medical problems.

Often, the specific cause of premature birth isn’t clear. Many factors may increase the risk of premature births, such as:

o Having a previous premature birth

o Pregnancy with twins, triplets or other multiples o An interval of less than six months between pregnancies

o Conceiving through in vitro fertilization

o Problems with the uterus, cervix or placenta

o Smoking cigarettes or using illicit drugs

o Poor nutrition

o Not gaining enough weight during pregnancy

o Some infections, particularly of the amniotic fluid and lower genital tract

o Some chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes

o Being underweight or overweight before pregnancy

o Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or domestic violence

o Multiple miscarriages or abortions

o Physical injury or trauma

For unknown reasons, black women are more likely to experience premature birth than are women of other races. But premature birth can happen to anyone. In fact, many women who have a premature birth have no known risk factors.

In order to bring more attention and urgency to global initiatives to address pre-term birth; please wear purple, the designated colour, on November 17 and show love for these little ones.

Dr Rosmond Adams is a medical doctor and a public health specialist. He may be emailed at: adamsrosmond@gmail.com