We celebrate every premature infant and take a moment to recognise the quiet and tireless work of the people who care for them
This World Prematurity Day, 17th November, we’re celebrating every premature infant, and the healthcare professionals who make a difference that truly lasts a lifetime.
Every year, more than one in ten infants around the world are born preterm, where resulting complications lead as the cause of death among children under five.1
That’s fifteen million tiny, fragile lives, whose survival is challenged with every passing hour, day and week from the moment they arrive.
The magnitude of this problem is why it’s so important to recognize the quiet and tireless work of those who care for premature infants – heroes who save lives just as they begin.
“You're so torn by wanting them to survive, but by also knowing that there is a risk that if things go wrong, they may survive damaged.”
Richard, Neonatal Consultant
The purpose Richard has found in giving preterm infants the best possible start in life resonates with our own at Enfamil. Every infant has their own specific nutritional needs, and that’s why we create tailored solutions for any need.
Developed with over 100 years of research, Enfamil has created a broad, clinically proven portfolio to support the different nutritional needs of preterm infants, from human milk supplements that support breastfeeding, to infant formulas.
“It's an emotional roller coaster that you go through with the parents, but you hide it behind professionalism.”
Kirsty, Neonatal Nurse
We believe that every preterm child and their parents should benefit from careers like Kirsty. The heart of our purpose at RB, which we live each day, is to ensure that access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege.
We are committed to partnering with the medical and scientific community to support science, medical education and innovation to give the best possible start in life to premature infants.
In the U.S., seven million women of childbearing age live in counties without access or with limited access to maternity care. This is why we’ve partnered with the non-profit March of Dimes on the Better Starts for All Initiative. Over the next three years, we aim to develop sustainable programs that improve the lives of pregnant women across the country by increasing access to quality healthcare and decreasing preterm birth.
Working together, we can help more families overcome the hardship of premature labour and give more infants a brighter future.
“You always have an element of Mom guilt. To know that your baby is growing happy and warm inside of you, then you're whipping them out before they're ready for your own reasons.”
Helen, Mom and cancer survivor
We hope you join us this World Prematurity Day, as we thank all the quiet heroes for their devotion to providing the best possible start in life and ensuring each premature infant not only survives, but thrives.
1WHO, Preterm birth, accessed 29th October 2020
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
RB supports exclusive breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition in the first six months of life, and advocates continued breastfeeding up to two years of age and beyond. Find out more.