On Tuesday, the United Nations (UN) agencies and partners released new data that showed that five nations across the globe accounted for more than half of all pre-term births, i.e., kids delivered before the 37th week of pregnancy in 2020. These five nations included India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, and Ethiopia.

The report titled "Born Too Soon: A Decade of Action on Pre-term Birth" was made by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Childrens Fund, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH).

The data from the report showed that in 2020, Bangladesh had the highest reported estimated preterm birth rate (16.2%), followed by Malawi (14.5%) and Pakistan (14.4%). India and South Africa, with projected preterm birth rates of 13% apiece, were among the top five nations with high preterm birth rates.

Overall, the survey revealed that preterm birth rates have remained constant in all regions of the world over the last few decades. There was also no change in preterm birth rates in any area, including the most burdened, namely Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Southern Asia had a preterm birth rate of 13.3% in 2010 and 13.2% in 2020, while Sub-Saharan Africa had 10.1% in both 2010 and 2020. These two regions account for more than 65% of all preterm births worldwide.

Dr. V. C. Manoj, the president-elect of NNF, noted that the increased rate of preterm birth in urban centres can be linked to several factors like lifestyle changes, chronic diseases, and IVF pregnancies.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anshu Banerjee, director for maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and ageing at WHO, noted that every woman should be able to access quality health services before and during pregnancy to identify and manage risks and avoid a preterm birth.

Dr. Sachin Shah, president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Intensive Care, Pune chapter, emphasised the importance of encouraging quality care at special newborn care units. He added that new mothers should be trained to practise kangaroo care for low-birth-weight infants.

(Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/india-among-top-5-countries-where-babies-born-too-soon-study-8600815/ )