February 7, 2021
According to the World Health Organization, one in 10 babies worldwide is born before 37 weeks of gestation each year.
While researchers don’t fully understand why babies are born prematurely, the many long-term effects of premature birth have been widely documented.
Babies born prematurely may have more health problems at birth and later in life than full-term infants. They can have intellectual and developmental disabilities, or problems with their lungs, brain, eyes, and other organs, according to the March of Dimes. Nemours has previously led work to successfully understand and treat preterm birth and its related complications in partnership with other hospital systems and organizations in the region, notably ChristianaCare and the March of Dimes. But preventing preterm birth has been a larger challenge.