This marks a significant change from earlier guidance and common clinical practice, reflecting the immense health benefits of ensuring caregivers and their preterm babies can stay close, without being separated, after birth.
The guidelines also provide recommendations to ensure emotional, financial and workplace support for families of very small and preterm babies, who can face extraordinary stress and hardship because of intensive caregiving demands and anxieties around their babies’ health.
“Preterm babies can survive, thrive, and change the world – but each baby must be given that chance,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General .
“These guidelines show that improving outcomes for these tiny babies is not always about providing the most high-tech solutions, but rather ensuring access to essential healthcare that is centred around the needs of families.”
Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm, amounting to more than 1 in 10 of all births globally, and an even higher number - over 20 million babies - have a low birthweight.
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这个数字还在不断上升，早产现在是5岁以下儿童死亡的主要原因。
This number is rising, and prematurity is now the leading cause of death of children under 5.
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早产儿的存活几率根据其出生地点而存在显著差异。
Depending on where they are born, there remain significant disparities in a preterm baby’s chances of surviving.
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在高收入国家，28孕周或之后出生的大多数婴儿都能够存活，但在较贫穷的国家，存活率可能低至10%。
While most born at or after 28 weeks in high-income countries go on to survive, in poorer countries survival rates can be as low as 10%.
Most preterm babies can be saved through feasible, cost-effective measures including quality care before, during and after childbirth, prevention and management of common infections, and kangaroo mother care – combining skin to skin contact in a special sling or wrap for as many hours as possible with a primary caregiver, usually the mother, and exclusive breastfeeding.