Up and down the country families are being traumatised by the death of their babies, as a result of premature birth. Many of the children that survive will face life-long health challenges requiring ongoing medical care.

We still don’t know what factors are important in putting a woman at risk of premature birth and so don’t know how to prevent this happening. That is why the STAND UP for Tiny Lives Campaign is calling on all MPs at Westminster to join our call for a Premature Birth Inquiry to improve prediction, delay and prevention of premature birth - to help more babies be born healthy at term.

The policy paper  pulls together the views of doctors, healthcare professionals, researchers and parents to present our case to the government as to how medical research can help and why a Premature Birth Inquiry should be the first step.

Through an inquiry, we are hoping that the government will produce the first ever national research strategy for tackling premature birth, similar to that which already exists for cancer, diabetes and other serious health problems.

As well as helping babies be born healthy at full-term, we also believe that a reduction in premature birth could also save the NHS money. There are no UK-wide figures for the life-time cost of premature birth but in 2008, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee stated that statutory spending on neonatal intensive care services in England for 2006-7 stood at some £420 million.  The cost of caring for premature babies is likely to be a significant proportion of this cost.

Evidence has show that premature birth is also associated with increased hospital inpatient costs during the first five years of life.  In addition, there are the financial costs to the families themselves in terms of lost earnings and extra spend while a child is in hospital. Finally, these costs need to be considered alongside the broader health and social care costs incurred in caring for a child who may develop a life-long condition as a result of premature birth.

Clearly, the impact on families, health services and society of premature birth is great.

Please email your MP and ask them to support our call for a Premature Birth Inquiry by clicking here.

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