Why is premature birth an important problem?
Premature birth is one of the greatest health hazards of humankind. In fact, prematurity is the single most common cause of sickness and death among newborn babies worldwide. In addition, it imposes major financial costs on the family, health care system, society, and economy. Who is affected? Of every 100 babies born in the United States, 6 to 7 are born before the full term of pregnancy, for a total of 250,000 each year. Of these, 75,000 babies - almost 2 percent of all babies - are born more than 6 weeks early. These babies are so premature that their chances of life and good health are poor. Pre-maturity accounts for 75% of all deaths in the first month of life and 50% of long-term handicaps. Many will have disabilities that will affect them throughout their lives.