World Prematurity Day 2021: Worldwide, more than 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely each year, resulting in an estimated 15 million preterm births per year. Premature birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five, these infants have a high risk of malnutrition, poor growth and poor health outcomes. Nutrition and maintenance of gut health are key challenging aspects to support their healthy growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic have affected provision and quality of neonatal care, a zero separation policy of parents and infants to avoid unnecessary suffering of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society is being called to ensure close contact between infants and their parents, as the separation puts these vulnerable infants at additional risk of death and long-term complications.
World Prematurity Day is celebrated on the 17th November each year to raise awareness of preterm birth worldwide and to help address and discuss the main concerns of parents and caregivers. NNI is proud to support and celebrate this event by bringing you this exclusive webinar highlighting the critical importance of neonatal care during this vulnerable period of life.
What is World Prematurity Day?
On November 17 we take a moment to show compassion and support for families who are experiencing the anxiety of premature births by observing World Prematurity Day, created by the March of Dimes. We love our babies from the moment they’re born. World Prematurity Day reminds us of babies born too early and the health challenges they can face as they grow up. These little ones need loads of love and support and World Prematurity Day is a chance to show it.
History of World Prematurity Day:
World Prematurity Day was created on November 17, 2011 to raise awareness for the millions of children every year who are born prematurely. While technologies and medical procedures in America have increased over the years, preterm babies still carry a huge vulnerability to develop cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems, and sight problems.
Additionally, while neonatal death in the United States is low in comparison to most of the world, premature births account for a quarter of all neonatal deaths.
That’s part of the many reasons why World Prematurity Day was created to shine a light on the risk and hardships created by premature births, cost-effective and proven solutions, and spreading compassion for families who have experienced premature births.
That being said, many premature babies grow up to completely healthy individuals, with some even becoming notable public figures such as Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein.
5 things to give you pause over premature births:
- It’s why full-term pregnancies are important
Did you know that the brain, lungs and other organs don’t develop until the last few weeks of pregnancy?
- It’s an uphill battle
Each year one in ten American births result in infant mortality.
- Preemies can grow up to be famous
Many famous historical figures were born prematurely including physicist Albert Einstein, writer Mark Twain, political leader Winston Churchill, French author Victor Hugo, the emperor Napoleon, and scientist Isaac Newton.
- It produces powerful mother’s milk
One interesting thing happens to mothers who deliver premature babies; the milk mothers produce contains special properties including extra minerals, fat, and proteins that these tiny infants need.
- Gender plays a role
Boys are more likely than girls to be born prematurely due to an outsized risk of high blood pressure and placenta abnormalities in their mothers.
Importance of World Prematurity Day:
- Premature births are increasing in the U.S.
Every year the March of Dimes issues a report card that assesses the efforts to reduce premature births in the U.S. Unfortunately, our country is losing ground in this battle for healthy babies. In fact, our overall grade is a “C” showing a widening gulf of differences in survival rates depending on racial background and socioeconomic conditions of the mothers. The best grades go to states in the west and northwest and failing grades go to states in the southwest and southeast.
- There’s more than one kind of premature birth
When we speak in general terms about premature babies, we tend to dismiss the variety of premature births that occur. A late preterm baby is born sometime between 34 and 37 weeks of a pregnancy. An actual preemie is a still developing infant born just under 32 weeks of gestation. The tiniest of all babies is a micro-preemie, born at under 25 weeks into a pregnancy and weighing about a pound.
- Premature births carry high risks
According to the March of Dimes, the number one global cause of death in children under five years old is premature births. When infants are born prematurely, they can face health challenges affecting their brain, lungs, hearing or vision. Risk factors include being African-American, a teen mother, a woman over 35, and coming from a low-income background. World Prematurity Day raises our consciousness about these infants so that we provide better research for healthier pregnancies and babies.
