Honouring the journey of premature birth: A call for care, compassion, and collective action
ACCORDING to the World Health Organisation, one in every 10 babies takes their first breath a little earlier than expected, arriving before their time and before the world is quite ready.Â
For many families, that early arrival marks the beginning of a journey filled with hope, patience and resilience. Beyond the neonatal intensive care unit, the experience of prematurity can continue to shape a child’s development and a family’s daily life long after those first fragile weeks.
As we observe World Prematurity Day today, it is a time to honour the quiet courage of families whose babies are born too soon.
Medically, a preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation, roughly eight months. In Malaysia, the rate of preterm birth stood at 10.7% of live births in 2020.
The two key factors influencing a preterm infant’s outlook are how early they are born and how much they weigh at birth.
It is often assumed that premature babies quickly catch up in growth and development, and that the most challenging phase ends after the first year. While many preterm babies go on to thrive, some may face ongoing health or developmental hurdles that require extra care and support along the way.
Complications may include respiratory distress syndrome, necrotising enterocolitis, sepsis (severe infection), retinopathy of prematurity that can affect vision or brain-related conditions such as intraventricular haemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia. Some of these can result in long-term cognitive, motor or sensory development challenges.
The experience of prematurity extends beyond medical care. For many parents, frequent hospital visits, therapy sessions and specialist consultations can be overwhelming, especially while balancing work and family life. Yet, amid these challenges, countless families describe deepened resilience, stronger bonds and a renewed appreciation for milestones that others may take for granted.
As children grow, some may require continued support, such as speech or occupational therapy or tailored education plans to help them reach their full potential.
Broader public health challenge
The impact of prematurity stretches beyond individual families. Collectively, it is a public health concern that affects communities and healthcare systems worldwide.
Structured early intervention programmes in high-income countries have shown that timely therapy, follow-up care and family education can significantly improve long-term outcomes.
In Malaysia, advanced neonatal care is available in many urban hospitals but access to ongoing developmental support can still vary, particularly for underserved communities or those living in rural areas.
Recognising this gap, the Health Ministry has unified its strategies under the current national framework, Child Health 2021–2030, which aims to improve continuity of care through strengthened community health services, structured developmental surveillance and enhanced intersectoral collaboration. These initiatives mark encouraging progress towards ensuring every baby receives the right support from the start.
Prevention and early detection
Understanding and addressing the causes of preterm birth are equally vital. Around 75% of preterm births result from spontaneous labour while others stem from maternal or fetal conditions, such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, gestational diabetes, placenta praevia or placental abruption.
Many of these situations require early delivery to safeguard the health of both mother and baby, decisions made carefully and compassionately by medical teams.
Early detection and intervention can make a world of difference. Women who have previously experienced preterm birth or are identified with a short cervix during pregnancy may benefit from preventive care, such as hormone therapy or a minor surgical procedure for cervical support.
If preterm birth becomes inevitable, medications such as steroid injections can help strengthen fetal lung maturity while magnesium sulphate can reduce the risk of brain injury. Equally important is maternal education, ensuring expectant mothers recognise early signs of labour and seek skilled care promptly.
Continued efforts from public health authorities and maternal health programmes also play a vital role in extending these preventive services to all communities.
Call to collective action
Behind every tiny heartbeat in an incubator lies a story of strength, love and determination of parents who never give up and healthcare teams who go above and beyond every day.
Together, we can work towards a future where fewer babies are born prematurely and where every child, no matter how early their journey begins, receives the care, compassion and oplportunity they need to thrive.
Dr Khine Pwint Phyu is the head of Learning and Teaching. Dr Ganesh Ramachandran serves as the head of the School of Medicine atTaylor’s University. Both are associate professors and obstetricians and gynaecologists at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Comments: [email protected]
