Specialist team prevent and delay premature births saving hundreds of babies every year
They are the Preterm Birth Team who are increasing the survival rate of newborn babies by 50 per cent – by delivering expert care to women with high-risk pregnancies.
Based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, the specialist midwives and consultants see 350 families a year, offering specialised and personal treatment to ensure the safe delivery of newborns.
Dr Fidan Israfil-Bayli said: “If a high-risk mother goes into labour at 22 weeks the baby will have a 30 per cent chance of survival.
“However, if we can delay this by four weeks this will increase to 80 per cent. The work we do as a preterm birth team is saving lives and reducing the chance of disability – every week that we can delay the delivery makes a difference.”
On average, nearly one in 13 babies born in the UK each year will be premature. This can lead to serious and long-term health risks for the baby.
Libby Edwards, Premature Prevention Midwife, added: “We are a dedicated and caring team, looking after pregnant women through what can be an understandably stressful and worrying time.
“We work closely with other health professionals to ensure we provide safe, holistic and effective care for all our patients and support women through the highs and lows of their pregnancy journey. It brings us such happiness to see them welcome healthy, full-term babies into their families."
The clinic has been running for over a decade at the hospital. There are several conditions that can increase the risk of preterm birth, such as previous cervical surgery, previous preterm birth, history of your waters breaking early, or a weakened cervix.
To assess the potential risk a scan to measure the cervix length can be carried out, if this shows there is an increased risk of preterm birth, treatment options are discussed.
Alongside progesterone supplements, one of the treatment options is a cerclage procedure, where a suture is placed around the cervix to keep it closed and support the womb. This can reduce the risk of preterm birth and miscarriage.
Dr Vicky Hodgetts Morton, Co-lead for Preterm Birth Prevention, said: "Every pregnancy is unique. By combining clinical expertise with research and innovation, we are able to offer women the best available support, while continually improving how we predict, prevent and manage early labour."