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Premature baby in an incubator

One in ten babies in the world are born before the 37th week of pregnancy

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On Wednesday, November 17, people around the world will celebrate World Premature Birth Day.

This date marks the first meeting of the European Foundation for Newborn Care (EFCNI) in Rome, Italy in 2008.

On the same day, a founding member of EFCNI became the father of his daughter after losing triplets due to premature birth.

Since then, this date has been dedicated to raising the world's awareness of preterm birth.

This is all you need to know about World Preterm Birth Day.

Preterm birth or premature birth means the baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in ten babies worldwide are born before 37 weeks.

According to WHO, premature birth and its complications are the cause of approximately 1 million deaths worldwide each year.

In the UK, about 8 out of every 100 babies are born before the 37th week of pregnancy.

There are different classifications of preterm birth.

Babies born before 28 weeks of pregnancy are "very premature", babies born between 28 and 32 weeks are "very premature", and babies born between 32 and 27 weeks are "moderate to late preterm."

World Preterm Birth Day was established in 2008 to raise awareness of complications related to preterm birth.

If babies are born prematurely, they may need special care because they may not be ready to live outside the womb.

This means that some premature babies may have health problems. British pregnancy charity Tommy says babies are generally more vulnerable to injuries the earlier they are born.

The global symbol of World Premature Day is a small purple sock hung between nine full-size baby socks.

This pair of small purple socks symbolizes one in ten premature babies in the world.

ECFNI stated that purple was chosen as the color of socks to represent sensitivity and particularity.

This year's theme is "Zero separation, take action! Let parents and babies born prematurely be together".

The Global Newborn Alliance (GLANC) is a network of organizations dedicated to supporting premature babies around the world. The organization stated that the theme aims to raise awareness of the benefits of zero separation between babies and their parents.

Silke Mader, Chairman of EFCNI, said: “Since the coronavirus has spread around the world and measures against Covid-19 have been adopted, we have seen many parents who are very restricted or even barred from entering due to the pandemic. The neonatal intensive care unit is struggling," said the founder of GLNC.

The WHO stated: “Mothers and babies should be kept together and skin-to-skin contact during the day and night during the same room, especially during breastfeeding immediately after birth, regardless of whether they or their babies are suspected or diagnosed with Covid-19. Viral infection."

In most cases, preterm birth occurs spontaneously, and doctors cannot diagnose the cause.

However, there are some factors that increase the risk of preterm birth.

According to Tommy's, if you gave birth prematurely before, you are more likely to give birth prematurely again. This risk becomes higher with each premature birth.

People with low levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A)-a hormone produced by pregnancy during pregnancy-may increase the chance of preterm birth. A low level may mean that the placenta is not working properly.

Tommy said the study also showed that people who conceive again less than six months after giving birth are "more likely" to give birth prematurely.

People who use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to treat pregnancy are also more likely to give birth prematurely.

People who are pregnant with twins or triplets also have an increased risk of premature birth. According to Tommy's, more than 50% of twins and almost all triplets are born before the 37th week of pregnancy.

Preterm birth is also a common problem in patients with gestational diabetes. Managing blood sugar levels before and during pregnancy can reduce this risk.

In some cases, preterm birth is planned in advance because it is safer for the baby. This usually happens when the mother or baby has a health condition.

Bliss Baby Charity is dedicated to caring for premature or sick babies born in the UK. Donate to the cause here.

Tommy provides support and care to people at all stages of pregnancy, including those facing premature birth. Donate to the cause here.

Borne is a charity dedicated to ending preterm birth by funding pregnancy and childbirth research. Donate here.

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Premature baby in an incubator

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