Eight measures can avert 5.7m stillbirths, premature births: icddr,b

Eight accessible and cost-effective interventions for pregnant women can prevent an estimated 566,000 stillbirths and 5.2 million premature or underweight births annually, health professionals said on the occasion of the Regional Launch of The Lancet Series at icddr,b on Tuesday.  

Every year, an estimated 600,000 babies are born prematurely or with low birthweight in Bangladesh, and globally, the figure is about 3.5 million. Both premature birth and low birthweight can lead to a number of complications, they added. 

Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman, Scientist at Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, icddr,b presented the highlights of the four papers in the series. These papers introduce eight accessible and cost-effective interventions tailored for pregnant women in 81 low- and middle-income countries. 

Among these eight interventions are measures such as multiple micronutrient supplements, balanced protein energy supplements, aspirin, syphilis treatment, smoking cessation education, malaria prevention during pregnancy, treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria, and vaginal progesterone supplementation. 

The subsequent benefits could lead to long-term health improvements and enhanced economic productivity. Additionally, two proven strategies to mitigate preterm birth complications—antenatal corticosteroids and delayed cord clamping—are included. 

These combined interventions also have the potential to prevent 476,000 deaths of newborns. The estimated cost of implementing these measures is $1.1 billion by the year 2030. 

Despite global commitments to address the challenges of preterm birth and low birthweight, progress has been insufficient. The Global Nutrition Target, aiming for a 30% reduction in low birthweight by 2030 from a 2012 baseline, has seen an annual reduction rate of just 0.59%. 

This stagnation prompted the Lancet Series to call for enhanced quality of care for pregnant women and birthing procedures. Specifically, the authors advocate for the widespread implementation of pregnancy interventions in 81 low- and middle-income countries.

This effort, they estimate, could potentially prevent about 32% of stillbirths, 20% of newborn deaths, and 18% of all SVN births within these countries.

Dr Per Ashorn, director of the Tampere Centre for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research at Tampere University in Finland, said, "Despite global efforts since 1990 to reduce adverse outcomes for newborns, a significant challenge remains: one in four babies worldwide is either 'born too small' or 'born too soon.' However, our Series highlights that we possess the necessary knowledge to reverse this trend and potentially save 100,000 infant lives annually."

"This intervention would require $1.1 billion, a small fraction of funding allocated to other health programs. We need national actors, with global partners, to urgently prioritise action, advocate and invest," Dr Ashorn, also the lead author of the Lancet Series on SVN, said.