Worldwide, nearly 1 in 10 babies are born premature
Published 10:27 pm Monday, October 4, 2010
WASHINGTON — They call it “kangaroo care”: A premature baby nestles against Mom’s bare, warm chest. In Malawi, mothers’ bodies take the place of too-pricey incubators to keep these fragile newborns alive.
Nearly one in 10 of the world’s babies is born premature, and about 1 million infants die each year as a result. It’s a problem concentrated in poor countries, with the vast majority of the nearly 13 million preemies born each year in Africa and Asia, according to the report released Sunday by the March of Dimes.
But while those rates are highest in Africa, they are followed closely by North America, concludes the report. U.S. government figures estimate that more than half a million American babies are born premature.
Yet even in very poor countries, there are steps to improve preemies’ survival if only more mothers knew, said Dr. Joy Lawn of Save the Children.
She points to Malawi, where traditionally mothers have tied babies to their backs as they go about their day. Today, mothers of preemies are taught to tie them in front, under their clothes, kangaroo style, she said. The skin-to-skin contact keeps infants’ body temperature more stable, a key to survival, and they can nurse at will, promoting weight gain.
Now Uganda is starting to teach kangaroo care.
Babies born before completion of the 37th week of pregnancy are premature. Even being born a few weeks early can lead to breathing problems, jaundice and developmental delays. Preemies can have lifelong problems, including cerebral palsy, blindness and learning disabilities.
