World Prematurity Day 2022: No one quite understands the challenges and tribulations of parenthood like parents of premature babies. These tiny little humans come into the world fighting for their lives, and their families are thrust into a roller coaster of emotions, from worry to hope to relief and back again. World Prematurity Day is an opportunity for us to come together and support these families. It also raises awareness about the realities of prematurity and the challenges premature babies and their families face. On November 17, 2022, let’s come together and stand with these families. Let’s show them they are not alone in this fight.
World Prematurity Day 2022: Theme
The global theme for World Prematurity Day 2022 is: A parent’s embrace: a powerful therapy. Enable skin-to-skin contact from the moment of birth.
What is World Prematurity Day?
World Prematurity Day is an annual event that raises awareness of preterm birth and the challenges faced by premature babies and their families. It also celebrates the progress made in improving outcomes for premature babies.
Preterm birth is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In 2018, around 15 million babies were born prematurely worldwide. That’s 1 in 10 babies.
Premature birth is a leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. In low- and middle-income countries, most premature births (75%) occur without any skilled help present at delivery.
The good news is that we have made significant progress in reducing the number of deaths from preterm births. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of preterm births decreased by 11%. And the number of deaths from preterm births declined by 36% over the same period.
WORLD PREMATURITY DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | November 17 | Thursday |
| 2023 | November 17 | Friday |
| 2024 | November 17 | Sunday |
| 2025 | November 17 | Monday |
| 2026 | November 17 | Tuesday |
There are many things we can do to reduce the risk of preterm birth, including:
· Providing access to quality antenatal care so women can receive early detection and treatment of infections during pregnancy;
· Reducing exposure to risk factors such as tobacco smoke;
· Improving nutrition for women and girls;
· Addressing social determinants of health such as poverty and inequality;
· Increasing access to skilled care during childbirth;
· Implementing policies that promote paid parental leave and support breastfeeding.
The Importance of World Prematurity Day
Every year, more than 15 million babies are born prematurely. This means that 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born too early.
Premature birth is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 and can have lifelong consequences for those who survive.
World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the problem of premature birth and to celebrate the progress that has been made in preventing and treating it.
The theme of this year’s World Prematurity Day is “Working together to end preterm birth.” This emphasizes the need for all sectors of society to come together to address this problem.
What You Can Do to Support World Prematurity Day
There are many ways that you can support World Prematurity Day and help raise awareness about this important issue. Here are some ideas:
-Share information about prematurity with your friends and family.
-Support a local organization that works to improve outcomes for premature babies.
-Make a donation to a research fund dedicated to finding causes and treatments for preterm birth.
-Write a letter to your elected officials urging them to support policies that will improve care for premature infants and their families.
-Attend or participate in an event supporting World Prematurity Day in your community.
Conclusion
World Prematurity Day is a global initiative to raise awareness about the problem of premature birth and its consequences. Every year, millions of babies are born too soon, and many of them do not survive. World Prematurity Day is an opportunity for us to come together and learn more about this problem so that we can find solutions to help these vulnerable babies. We hope that you will join us on November 17, 2022 to help make a difference for premature babies all over the world.
