Preterm Birth Rate: Where Does India Stand In New UN Report?

Preterm birth refers to the delivery of an infant before the completion of 37 weeks of gestation.

India ranks among the top 5 countries having the highest rate of preterm births. The information came in a report released by the UN on Wednesday. According to the agency, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China and Ethiopia together accounted for 45 per cent of all babies born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) in 2020.

As per the report, an estimated 13.4 million babies were born pre-term in 2020, with nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications. The digits show that the rising in preterm births is a matter of concern in the country.

As per studies, children who are born prematurely are at a high risk of stillbirth, neonatal death, and later childhood mortality. According to WHO, preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age.

The report Born Too Soon produced by WHO along with UNICEF has highlighted the long-under-recognized problem of preterm birth in its scale and severity, which is impeding progress in improving children’s health and survival.

As per a report, in 2020, Bangladesh had the highest estimated preterm birth rate (16.2 per cent), followed by Malawi (14.5 per cent) and Pakistan (14.4 per cent), India (13 per cent) and South Africa (13 per cent). Rates were also high in high-income countries, such as Greece (11.6 per cent) and the US (10.0 per cent).

The Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO said in a statement: “Ensuring quality care for these tiniest, most vulnerable babies and their families is imperative for improving child health and survival. Progress is also needed to help prevent preterm births — this means every woman must be able to access quality health services before and during pregnancy to identify and manage risks.”