Save the Children

Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth features the first-ever estimates of preterm birth rates by
country and is authored by a broad group of 45 international multi-disciplinary experts from 11 countries, with almost 50 organizations in support. This report is written in support of all families who have been touched by preterm birth. This report is written in support of the Global Strategy for Women’s and children’s health and the efforts of every Woman every child, led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Premature babies can be saved now with feasible, cost-effective care
•     Historical data and new analyses show that deaths from preterm birth complications can be reduced by over three-quarters even without the availability of neonatal intensive care.
•     Inequalities in survival rates around the world are stark: half of the babies born at 24 weeks (4 months early) survive in high-income countries, but in low-income settings, half the babies born at 32 weeks (two months early) continue to die due to a lack of feasible, cost-effective care, such as warmth, breastfeeding support, and basic care for infections and breathing difficulties.
•     Over the last decade, some countries have halved deaths due  to preterm birth by ensuring frontline workers are skilled in the care of premature babies and improving supplies of life-saving commodities and equipment.

Download the PDF to read this comprehensive report.

Authors: March of Dimes, PMNCH, Save the Children, WHO. Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth. Eds CP Howson, MV Kinney, JE Lawn. World Health Organization. Geneva, 2012.

• Born Too Soon (PDF)