UN warns of preterm birth rates flatlining in every region

Preterm birth rates have not changed in any region in the world in the past decade, with 152 million babies born before 37 weeks between 2010 and 2020, according to a major report.1Born too soon: decade of action on preterm birth estimates that 13.4 million babies were born preterm in 2020, with nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications. The report from the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (an alliance of health organisations), is a follow-up to a landmark 2012 report.2Data prepared by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the report show how preterm rates have remained static. The global preterm birth rate was 9.9% in 2020 compared with 9.8% in 2010. The highest rates of preterm birth are in Southern Asia, where they were 13.3% in 2010 and 13.2% in 2020, and sub-Saharan Africa,…
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