Dhaka Bureau: Usually a newborn is born after 40 weeks or 280 days in the mother’s womb. Until then, after being in the mother’s womb, the child acquires the maturity and strength to survive in the world. But sometimes the baby is born prematurely due to various physical complications of the mother. Babies born before 37 weeks or 259 days are called premature babies.
Medical experts say, after pneumonia, one of the biggest causes of neonatal death in the world is premature birth, that is, the birth of a child before the specified time. About 45 percent of newborn deaths are due to premature birth. Worldwide, 1.5 million babies are born before 37 weeks of age each year. That means one in every 10 babies is born premature. Many of them are underweight or less than 2500 grams. Survival of these children is the biggest challenge. As a result, it is necessary to increase awareness in this regard.
According to Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2017-2018, 18 percent of newborns die between two to seven days and eight to 28 days after birth. 90 thousand newborns die every year. 10 to 11 newborns die every hour. Among the causes of neonatal deaths, 19 percent are premature and low birth weight, 13 percent are pneumonia, 23 percent are respiratory distress at birth. There are also various reasons. In such a situation, the World Prematurity Day-2022 is being celebrated today on November 17 in the country like the rest of the world. This year the theme of the day is ‘Parents Embrace: A Powerful Therapy’.
About the reason for the premature birth of the newborn, the head of the department of the children’s department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital Dr. Iffat Ara Shamsad told the media, premature newborn birth depends on the complications that the pregnant mother goes through during pregnancy. Among other factors, inadequate care of the mother during pregnancy is noteworthy.
Secretary General of Gynecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB) Dr. Gulshan Ara told the media, if the pregnant mother has multiple pregnancy, i.e. if there is more than one child in the stomach, the infection of the amniotic membrane, vagina or urinary tract can lead to the birth of a premature newborn.
