15 million of world's babies are born prematurely

(May 04, 2012) About 15 million premature babies are born every year - more than 1 in 10 of the world's births and a bigger problem than previously believed, according to the first country-by-country estimates of this obstetric epidemic. The startling toll: 1.1 million of these fragile newborns die as a result, and even those who survive can suffer lifelong disabilities. Most of the world's preemies are born in Africa and Asia, says the report released on Wednesday. But the starkest difference between rich and poorer countries is survival according to Dr. Joy Lawn of Save the Children, who co-authored the report with the March of Dimes fundraising organization, the United Nations World Health Organization and a coalition of international health experts. Sophisticated and expensive intensive care saves the majority of preterm babies in the U.S. and other developed nations, even the tiniest, most premature ones. The risk of death from prematurity is at least 12 times higher for an African newborn than for a European baby, the report found. Globally, prematurity is not only the leading killer of newborns but the second-leading cause of death in children under 5.
Three-quarters of the deaths could be prevented by spreading some simple, inexpensive treatments to the neediest countries, the report concludes. For example, providing $1 steroid shots during preterm labor hastens development of immature fetal lungs. They're standard in developed countries; wider use in low-income countries could save nearly 400,000 babies a year. Even more lives could be saved by teaching ``kangaroo care,'' in which moms carry their tiny babies nestled skin-to-skin on their bare chests for warmth when there are no incubators. Survival isn't the only hurdle. No one knows how many preemies suffer disabilities including cerebral palsy, blindness or learning disorders.