World Prematurity Day 2025 | Best Preemie Care

Today UNICEF held a special event to commemorate the courage of the families who face the challenge of giving birth to premature babies. It is also observed to expedite action and increase awareness of the struggles experienced by premature newborns and their caregivers.

The focus shifts to the challenges faced by the more than 13.4 million preterm newborns born annually as the entire world gets ready to celebrate World Prematurity Day on November 17. "Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future!" is the theme for the year 2025. It emphasises the critical necessity for prompt and high-quality care from the very beginning of life.

The most common cause of mortality for children under five is still preterm delivery, and those who survive tend to suffer long-term health issues, such as developmental delays and impairments.

In addition to raising awareness, World Prematurity Day is a call for equality and resilience in neonatal care, ensuring that every newborn has the equal chance to mature, grow, and attain their full developmental potential. To make this vision a reality, UNICEF is constantly working with partners to engage families, communities, health professionals, and health policymakers at a global level.

Key Aspects of World Prematurity Day 2025

Preterm infants are ones who are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, accounting for approximately one in every ten births globally. Without adequate treatment, newborns are at significant risk of suffering from life-threatening health issues such as respiratory distress, infections, and hypothermia, all of which contribute to countless preventable deaths every year. National governments, neonatal care systems, communities, and people share responsibilities for protecting these little newborns and providing the necessary assistance to their families.

Therefore, this campaign includes many integral calls to action, urging governments to:

Prioritise special care for premature and weak newborns, including neonatal care units, specially trained personnel, specialised space, and life-saving equipment
Improve maternal health care in order to prevent premature births and diagnose health issues early
Provide families with emotional, financial, and operational assistance to care for their premature newborns
Promote equality so that survival is not determined by geographical parameters or financial status. Every newborn gets the best chance of a brilliant future right from their first breath.

Common Causes of Premature Births

Premature births tend to happen unexpectedly, with no specific explanation. In some cases, doctors may need to induce (start) labour early for some specific medical conditions. Women can also have preterm labour because of:

Unmanaged chronic health conditions, like diabetes or heart disease
Placental conditions like placental abruption or placenta previa
Preeclampsia
Expecting multiples (twins, triplets, or quadruplets)
Uterine or cervical issues
Vaginal bleeding or infections during pregnancy
Intake of substances like certain drugs and alcohol or smoking during pregnancy

Management and Treatment of Preemies

Preterm newborns generally require specialised NICU care. This is a special section of the hospital for newborns that is equipped with facilities for additional care and specialised medical attention. Some newborns remain in the NICU care for weeks or months.

Preterm newborns generally need extra medical care for:

Proper breathing
Feeding
Gaining body weight
Maintaining their own body temperatures

Outlook / Prognosis of Preemies

Premature babies, particularly those born after 34 weeks of pregnancy, have fairly good chances of growing up healthy. A baby's risk of developing health issues later in life increases if they are born earlier than 34 weeks.

How to Prevent Premature Births?

Although there isn't one approach to stop preterm delivery, you can minimise your chances of premature labour by doing the following:

When pregnant, abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
Throughout pregnancy, eat healthy, well-balanced meals
Begin prenatal care right from the first trimester so that your doctor can detect the potential health issues as soon as possible
Learn how to manage health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure from your doctor because unmanaged health issues can potentially cause premature births and other issues
Do not miss any of your prenatal care appointments
Manage your stresses
Wait for the period of at least 18 months between pregnancies

When to Reach Out to The Obstetrician to Prevent & Manage Premature Birth?

Reach out to your obstetrician immediately if you notice any of the following signs:

Abnormal vaginal discharge (like leaking amniotic fluid) or bleeding
Untimely contractions or cramping, with or without diarrhea
Continuous pelvic pain
Pressure in the pelvis or abdomen
Water breaks

If you are struggling to manage a medical condition such as diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), or preeclampsia, get in touch with your doctor right away. Your doctor will work with you to manage your condition with proper monitoring for prolonging your pregnancy and preventing the early delivery, even if preterm delivery may not be completely prevented.

Conclusion

A baby born prematurely may suffer from lifelong disorders and certain complications in the future. Vital organs may not fully develop if a newborn is not given enough time to grow within the uterus. However, many preterm babies grow into strong, healthy adults if advanced neonatal care is provided timely. Following all of your prenatal checkups, taking care of any underlying medical issues, and leading a healthy lifestyle during your pregnancy are the best ways to prevent preterm birth. To get the finest treatment possible during your pregnancy, do not miss your prenatal appointments.

Surya Hospitals delivers the advanced neonatal care in Mumbai with excellence. Let us know how we can help you. Call now!

FAQs

Q1: Does premature births result in disability in the baby?
A: No, premature births do not always result in disability. It only enhances the child’s risk of certain disabilities.

Q2: What is the theme of Prematurity Day 2025?
A: WHO has started a “healthy beginnings, hopeful futures” campaign this year. It serves as a reminder that every child should get an equal opportunity at life from the time they are born.

Q3: Which color has been chosen for preemie awareness?
A: Prematurity Awareness Month's official colour is purple, which stands for compassion. Every year on November 17, World Prematurity Day is observed to raise awareness to the challenges and the people affected.