Premature birth rate highest in Bangladesh

Premature birth rate in the country has already been high for many years. The health risks for such infants are very high.

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In Bangladesh, 16 out of every 100 newborns are born prematurely. This rate of premature birth is the highest in the world. Infants born prematurely have a higher mortality rate. And, those who survive are at higher risk of developing neurological disorders.

This information was revealed at the monthly central seminar of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday morning. Vice-chancellor, pro vice-chancellor, chairmen, senior physicians and students from various departments of the university had joined the seminar. Three papers were presented in the seminar.

In the first paper, chairman of the feto-maternal medicine department at BSMMU professor Tabassum Parveen said that an infant born before completing 37 weeks in the womb is a premature baby. The infant is born prematurely.

These children suffer from a range of complications. The mortality rate is higher among them. Bangladesh has the highest birth rate for such babies in the world. Out of every 100 births, 16.2 are premature ones.

It was stated in the seminar that maternal malnutrition, child marriage, violence against women, and lack of proper healthcare during pregnancy are the reasons behind premature births. The rate of premature birth in the country has already been high for many years. And, this rate is not coming down to the desired level.

The other nine countries with high premature birth rates are Malawi (14.5 per cent), Pakistan (14.4 per cent), Palestine (13.2 per cent), India (13 per cent), South Africa (13 per cent), Ethiopia (12.9 per cent), Suriname (12.8 per cent), Congo (12.4 per cent) and Ivory Coast (11.7 per cent).

The foetus starts transforming physically from eight weeks into the pregnancy. Babies born prematurely might be born with underdeveloped limbs and organs. And, that’s the reason of risk in such births.

Chairman of the neonatology department at BSMMU, professor Md Abdul Mannan said that there are 640,000 (6.4 lakh) premature births in Bangladesh every year. And, about 25,000 of these infants die every year. These infants need to be kept in a warm condition immediately after being born.

He added that after birth, these infants have to be kept in contact with their mother’s skin. The mother should never be separated from the newborn. ‘Kangaroo mother care’ or incubator can keep the newborns warm. As many as 468 hospitals across the country have kangaroo mother care facility available, he added.

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Chairman of the pediatric neurology department at BSMMU, professor Kanij Fatema said that 10 to 15 per cent of the prematurely born children have been found to be at risk of developing neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, autism, hyperactivity, and epilepsy in future.

So, it’s necessary to keep prematurely born infants under integrated medical care for the first year of birth, added professor Kaniz Fatema.

Speakers at the seminar said that to prevent premature births, people have to seek pre-pregnancy healthcare, remain under the coverage of family planning services, seek reproductive health services, take prenatal care, and be careful of malaria or any other infectious diseases.

BSMMU vice-chancellor professor Md Shahinul Alam said, “Evidence-based treatment has become essential at this time. We too have to move in that direction.” Chairman of the seminar sub-committee at BSMMU, professor Ashrafun Nessa presided over the seminar.

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