Lancet paper shows world-first Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Program is working!!!
New data has shown that a world-first initiative to reduce preterm and early term births in Australia has led to a significant decrease in rates of potentially harmful early birth, and improved pregnancy outcomes for women across the country.
Recently published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, the study presents detailed outcomes from a six-year preterm birth prevention program first introduced in mid-2018.
Findings have shown that:
From 2018-2021, through activities of the Alliance, rates of preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks) were reduced by approximately 8%. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children under the age of 5 worldwide.
From 2021-2024, through the expansion of the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Program, an approximate 10% reduction in the early term ages was achieved (37-39 weeks – a period strongly associated with increased risks of learning and behavioural problems).
“We have shown that using current knowledge we have lowered the rate of harmful early birth by 7-10% which represents approximately 4000 fewer cases of early birth each year across Australia since the program was launched,” Alliance Chair, Professor John Newnham explains.
Every Week Counts
Many of you already understand the importance of Every Week Counting in your pregnancy, but not everyone who is pregnant does. Be a change maker by sharing this important resource, the Every Week Counts magazine, with your friends, family and wider network.
Raising awareness of the critical issue of premature and early term birth is essential. Together we can drive real change!
Federal Funding for Preterm Birth Prevention
We are thrilled to see the Federal Governments strong commitment to Women, especially funding for maternal healthcare initiatives through the Budget. Nation wide work on preterm birth prevention has been happening with excellent results over the past two years and it’s incredible to see additional funding to reach the remaining hospitals over the next two years.
We were recently involved in the showcase in Canberra for the Breakthrough Collaborative. This was such a marvellous celebration of the work completed to date but also highlighted the work still to be done, especially for our First Nations families.
More information about the seven interventions for the prevention of preterm birth can be found on the Alliance website.