The arrival of a newborn baby should be a joyous occasion, but for 1 in 10 families worldwide – 1 in 8 in the United States,– their baby delivers early. More than 3 weeks before the due date. This is prematurity and it’s responsible for 35% of all infant deaths, is a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children and costs the U.S. health care system more than $26 billion per year.
Even babies born at 35 – 37 weeks’ gestation – so called “late preterm” or “early term” babies delivered electively – can suffer life-long consequences from their prematurity.
At Nicu-pedia.com, every day we see the tragedy that is premature birth and the heartbreak of the families affected. On November 17th, join others across the World and shine Purple in support of Ending Prematurity!