PEDIATRICS Vol. 7 No. 2 February 1951, pp. 262-268
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PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING AND MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK

PREMATURE BIRTH AS A WORLD HEALTH PROBLEM

ETHEL C. DUNHAM M.D.1

1 Consultant, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

Editors: MYRON E. WEGMAN, M.D..

IT IS well known that prematurity plays an important role in causing infant deaths. Moreover, it is generally recognized that, to lower the high mortality rate from prematurity, concerted efforts are needed to lower the incidence of premature birth as well as to render proper care to these infants after birth.

The Second World Health Assembly directed the convening of an expert group on care of the premature infant, which met in Geneva from April 17-21, 1950. This report reviews the results of their deliberations, illustrates their suggestions and recommendations from material made available to them by the WHO staff and adds some personal comments.

Definitions

First, the expert group on prematurity recognized the necessity for uniform terminology for international usage. The primary goal—to lower foetal and neonatal mortality—can best be achieved by providing specialized care for infants of low birth weight. They suggested that a premature infant be defined as one whose birth weight is 2,500 gm. or less but recognized the limitations of this criterion since birth weight will not always be available. Other criteria of prematurity must then be used, for example, gestation period. They therefore recommended the adoption by all countries, for purposes of vital statistics, of the international definition of the World Health Assembly 1948, which states:


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