Prediction of preterm birth - prevention of inequality among children

Each year, more than 200 million babies are born worldwide. Among these, approximately 10 percent are born prematurely. Besides facing increased neonatal mortality, preterm children very often develop health problems later in life, such as greater susceptibility to infections, allergies, and asthma and poorer neurocognitive performance. In adult life, being born prematurely can also affect the ability to work, which further aggravates the inequalities resulting from prematurity.

The thematic network we created with international partners aims to strategically address the clinical and socioeconomical problems and counter inequalities. It is our goal to characterize the biological signatures of premature inflammation that predict preterm birth at a point during pregnancies when no risk can be foreseen. Such knowledge will then inform future prenatal care and allow us to identify pregnancies at risk of preterm birth through routine clinical screening. It is our long-term goal to reduce the disease burden and health care costs related to preterm birth.

We will launch a website to share insights with the scientific community and the public.