Prematurity Awareness Month is observed in November, an opportunity to reflect on the nearly 400,000 babies born preterm each year in the United States and what we can do to prevent it.

Prematurity Awareness Month educates the public that about 1 in 10 babies are born preterm, or before completing the normal 37 to 40 weeks of pregnancy. These babies miss out on the important growth and development that happens in the final weeks. Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality. Babies who survive can have short- and long-term health problems.

An estimated 15 million babies around the world are born premature each year and more than one million of them do not survive their early birth. Although the United States has seen sustained improvement in its preterm birth rate, it has one of the highest rates of preterm birth of any industrialized country.