National Program โคConsiderably Reducesโ Preterm Births Across Australia
Sydney, โฃAustralia – A world-first national program aimed at preventing preterm โฃbirth โขhas successfully lowered the rate โคof early deliveries by approximately 4,000 per โฃyear,โ according to researchers. The initiative, rolled out โคacross โAustralia, focuses on proactiveโ clinical โstrategies to identify and supportโข women at risk of delivering before โ39 weeks gestation.
The program’s success โmarks a significant step forward in improving outcomes forโค babies โbornโ prematurely, who face a higher risk of physical disability, learning โขdifficulties, andโฃ other health challenges. Professorโ Matt Newnham,โฃ who beganโข the work as an obstetrician in Perth in โtheโค 1980s, โคhighlighted the collaborative effort โขbehind the achievement.”This has been my career-longโ projectโ and I started it and Iโ still run it, but I’m surrounded โby wonderful people all over the โขcountry who really have โคputโ their โขshoulder toโข the wheel to make it work,” he said.
Key strategies implemented include refraining from planned deliveries before 39 weeks without medical justification,measuring cervical length duringโฃ mid-pregnancy scans,and utilizingโ vaginal progesterone forโข women with short cervixes or โขa historyโค of spontaneous preterm birth. The program also emphasizes supportโข for women who smoke, โofferingโข access to quitline, โand promoting continuity โฃof โcare โwith a known midwife.
“I think the other really important โthing thatโ obstetricians have taken from this is that we must not plan to deliver babiesโ before 39 weeks if there isn’t โa goodโ reason toโ do it,” explained Nishaโ Knot.
While celebrating theโ program’s success, Dr. Khot emphasized the needโฃ for continued research, particularly regarding births before โข32 โคweeks gestation.โฃ “We certainly know that babies that are born at โขless than 32 โweeks are more likely to have โฆ physical disability, learning difficulties, other issues โthroughout their lifetime,” she stated.
Clinical strategies used in the program:
* No pregnancy toโฃ beโ ended until at least 39 weeks unless there isโค medical justification
* โMeasurement โof โcervix length at all mid-pregnancy morphology scans
* Use of natural vaginal progesterone if the cervix is less than 25mm
* If โtheโข cervix continues to shorten, surgicalโ cerclage should be considered
* โ Use of vaginalโข progesterone if there โขis a history of spontaneous preterm birth
* โwomen who smoke should be offered Quitline support
* Pregnant individuals toโ access โฃcontinuity of care from a known midwife where possible
