Preterm complications are contributing factors in 45% of all newborn deaths in Bangladesh, UNICEF Bangladesh and Save the Children in Bangladesh said in a joint press release issued on Monday.
In Bangladesh, every year approximately 76,000 newborns die and around 88 per cent of neonatal deaths are from three preventable causes: severe infection, intrapartum-related problems (asphyxia) and complications of preterm birth, said the press release.
About 28,000 Bangladeshi babies die within the first day of life, accounting for one-third of all newborn deaths, making it the most dangerous day for any baby.
The two organizations also said that groundbreaking global studies on preterm birth and disability carried out by almost 50 researchers at 35 institutions and launched in association with World Prematurity Day finds baby boys are at a higher risk of death and disability due to preterm birth than baby girls.
These disabilities range from learning problems and blindness to deafness and motor problems, including cerebral palsy.
“Baby boys have a higher likelihood of infections, jaundice, birth complications, and congenital conditions but the biggest risk for baby boys is due to preterm birth. For two babies born at the same degree of prematurity, a boy will have a higher risk of death and disability compared to a girl…,” said Professor Joy Lawn, M.D., PhD, a neonatologist and epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and team leader of the new research.
The press release said that broken down by region, most of the problems were reported in low-income countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where 2.2 million newborns died, and more than 606,000 had some degree of impairment following newborn complications.
Improving prematurity prevention and care is a key part of a wider drive to reduce newborn deaths and improve quality care at the time of birth, when risks are highest for both women and their babies.
“Three quarters of the 1 million babies who die each year from complications associated with prematurity could have been saved with cost-effective interventions, even without intensive care facilities,” says UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose Every Woman Every Child movement has provided major worldwide impetus for women and children.
“World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to mobilize partners to improve the care available to all women and children.”
It said that having committed to reducing newborn deaths, Bangladesh is using World Prematurity Day to take actions to address preterm birth. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, along with development partners and professional societies, had achieved consensus on simple, proven, low-cost solutions to address the preterm burden.
Specifically, last July the government of Bangladesh declared its commitment through ‘A Call for Action for Child Survival’ to scale-up affordable interventions to combat newborn deaths due to prematurity
Michael Foley, Director of Health and Nutrition, Save the Children in Bangladesh, said: “Basic life-saving interventions can dramatically accelerate reduction of newborn deaths, particularly for preterm babies.”
