Today (Thursday 14 November), the House of Lords Preterm Birth Committee has published its 2024-25 session report, ‘Preterm birth: reducing risks and improving lives’.
The report summarises key themes and findings from the committee’s preterm birth inquiry, which took written and oral evidence from over 100 individuals and organisations including the RCOG during the year. The committee was established in January 2024 to “consider the prevention, and consequences, of preterm birth”.
As part of the report’s recommendations, the committee calls on the Government to revise the current national maternity safety ambition, focusing particularly on targets that will support efforts to reduce the incidence and impact of preterm birth. It recommends further research into the reasons for preterm labour, and underlines the need for urgent action on maternity staffing levels, to ensure that all mothers and babies receive high quality care.
While most preterm births have a positive outcome, it is the largest single cause of neonatal deaths in the UK, and a leading contributor of deaths in childhood. Preterm birth also carries an increased risk of children having long-term health conditions and disabilities.
Responding to the report, Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:
“The impact of preterm birth for babies and their families cannot be underestimated and we welcome the committee’s broad-ranging recommendations. If these are implemented by the Government, we would start to see real improvements after a period of stalled progress.
“The committee rightly recognises that maternity teams are working extremely hard to offer good care in very difficult circumstances. However, progress is dependent on investment in recruiting, training and retaining maternity staff, including essential financial and training support for implementing the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle.
“All parts of the maternity system have a role to play here. The College is pleased to be working with partners to develop the Tommy’s Pathway Clinical Decision Support Tool, which assesses each woman’s individual chance of preterm birth and supports care recommendations in line with national clinical guidelines.”