 News
21st April 2006
Concerns over rise in premature births
Doctors are warning the trend towards more preterm deliveries
could have considerable health implications.
A recent Denmark study, published by the BMJ in February,
found preterm deliveries had increased by 22 per cent in the ten years
from 1995 to 2004.
Obstetrician Professor Andrew Shennan said early delivery
can lead to physical and mental health problems and said doctors and parents
should look to see if the number of preterm births can be cut.
Preterm deliveries account for fewer than 1 in 10 births but result in
three quarters of neonatal deaths and most neonatal intensive care admissions.
The study suggested fertility treatment, multiple pregnancies and elective
deliveries were partly to blame for the rise in premature births but added
that other factors such as smoking, teenage and middle-age pregnancy,
obesity and social inequalities could also play a role.
Professor Shennan, from King's College London, said, "Obstetricians should
re-evaluate the risks and benefits of delivering babies earlier.
"If these findings from Denmark are true, the implications for neonatologists,
health economists, teachers, parents, and children themselves are worrying.
"Other countries need to unsure that mechanisms are in place to detect
such trends and assess their impact."
But a spokeswoman for premature baby charity Bliss said, "One of the
main reasons we are seeing a rise in premature births is because of the
improving medical care which means premature babies who would have died
20 years ago are now surviving and are going on to have a good quality
of life.
"While this is good news, we need to make sure that the NHS is increasing
the resources put into neonatal care to make sure we can cope with the
ever increasing demand."
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