World Prematurity Day

Today alongside countless individuals, hospitals, institutions and organisations across the globe, we raise awareness for the challenges of preterm birth and honour all born babies born too soon and their families.

Did you know that yearly, over 10% of the 130 million babies born worldwide are born prematurely, before the completion of 37 weeks of pregnancy? That is around 1 in 10 babies.

Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age. The earlier a baby is born, the less developed it‘s organs and bodily functions will be, which is why many survivors face a higher risk of serious, lifelong health challenges.

Preterm birth can also bring considerable emotional trauma to families and may cause financial burden, not only for families but also for health care systems.

The 2022 theme is ‘A parent’s embrace: a powerful therapy.
Enable skin-to-skin contact from the moment of birth.’

You too can help raise awareness to improve outcomes for preterm babies and their families by sharing some of the images featured in this post.