#BornTooSoon – World Prematurity Day

ByMichelle Garrett

World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17th of each year to raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.

According to the March of Dimes, a premature baby is one who is born too early, before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies can have more health problems and may need to stay in the hospital longer than babies born later. More than half a million babies are born prematurely each year in the United States.

My premature babies’ stories are far from heart-wrenching when I think of others who have and still are dealing with the short and long-term effects of premature births.

My oldest son was born at 30 weeks. My youngest son and daughter were kept put with progesterone shots, modified bed rest and lots of prayers.

My Place in Pre-Term Statistics
In many countries, babies born at the same gestational period as my oldest son face many obstacles in their first days of life and, sadly, do not survive.  According to the World Health Organization, preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths (babies in the first four weeks of life) and the second leading cause of death after pneumonia in children under five years.
In honor of World Prematurity Day Impatient Optimists is helping to bring attention to premature births and, especially, the impact it has in developing countries where access to the proper medical is often unavailable.
Please click here to read my oldest son’s story and why awareness for World Prematurity Day is near and dear to my heart.