It is estimated that approximately 10% of babies are born prematurely worldwide. This means that approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely every year.
Here in Ireland, the figure stands at around 4,500 a year (about 1 in every 16 babies), meaing that there is a baby born prematurely every 116 minutes. Despite the high number of preterm births in the world, little is known about prevention of preterm delivery, the problems of delivery and risks to development.
Rest assured: you are not alone, and there is support available.