Princess Beatrice has spoken of the isolating experience of expecting a premature baby, as she lends her support to the Every Week Counts campaign by the charity Borne.
The princess, 37, experienced firsthand the anxieties of potential premature birth with her daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, born in January after medical advice in December cautioned against long-distance travel during her pregnancy. She previously shared in British Vogue in March, “Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realize your baby is going to arrive early…there’s so little control.”
During a visit to Borne’s research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London last week, Princess Beatrice emphasized the “sense of life changing relief” she felt knowing the organization was dedicated to research and raising critical questions about premature birth. Approximately 15 million babies are born too early each year globally, including around 60,000 – or 1 in 13 – in the UK.
Complications from prematurity are the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability, according to Borne. The princess expressed hope that her patronage would encourage others with similar experiences to share their stories, stating, “Then maybe we can learn from each other.”
Buckingham Palace announced Princess Beatrice’s second pregnancy in October of last year. She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, and a niece of King Charles III.
World Prematurity Day is organized annually by the World Health Organization to raise awareness of the challenges faced by premature babies and their families.
