Early birth main cause of child death in Brazil

Brazil ranks tenth for preterm birth, with approximately 300 thousand premature babies every year—11.7% of the total births in the country. Most cases stem from teenage or late pregnancies, precarious prenatal care, or illnesses afflicting the mother. The figures were released by the NGO Prematuridade.com.

According to the organization, premature birth is the main cause of death among children younger than five years old worldwide. In Brazil, statistics reveal that a baby dies every 30 seconds from complications arising from a preterm birth. “A premature birth causes permanent psychological effects on parents and may lead to irreversible health problems in babies,” the NGO declared.

Facing this problem, Prematuridade.com is launching a number of actions in Congress today (Nov. 17) in a bid to officially turn the date into Prematurity Day. The goal is to raise awareness among congress about the creation of Purple November, an international campaign against prematurity. The NGO notes that births are considered premature when it takes place before week 37 of pregnancy.

Translated by Fabrício