17/11/2025
๐ WORLD PREMATURITY DAY
The above statistic is a cause for concern as preterm labour resulting in premature birth is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old in South Africa.
โ Preterm birth is multifactorial; however, clinicians should proactively seek to reduce or eliminate modifiable risk factors such as an unhealthy lifestyle.
โ Antenatal visits are a fantastic opportunity to provide lifestyle counselling to moms-to-be and should encourage gradual uptake of all lifestyle pillars.
โ One of the most well-studied lifestyle choices that significantly increases the risk of preterm birth and even sudden infant death syndrome is to***co smoking.
โ Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has a similar effect on the foetus and should also be discouraged.
โ Dietary recommendations should focus not on quantity of food but rather on quality of nutrition. A whole food, plant-rich eating pattern with supplementation of folic acid, iron, ยฑ calcium supports optimal foetal development while reducing the motherโs risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertension in pregnancy, and obesity due to excess weight gain.
โ Pregnant women should be encouraged to exercise, manage their stress well, sleep enough at night, and connect regularly with other people in person.
๐References:
1. Government of South Africa. Health commemorates World Prematurity Awareness Month, 22 Nov | South African Government. www.gov.za. Published November 21, 2023. https://www.gov.za/news/media-advisories/government-activities/health-commemorates-world-prematurity-awareness-month
2. Mehdi Vahiddastjerdi, Mohammad Eslami Vaghar, Rayhane Sharifiyan. Investigating the association of the lifestyle of pregnant women with the rate of preterm labor. Journal of family medicine and primary care. 2024;13(3):833-837. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1214_23
3. McHugh J, Dalal M, Agarwal N. From Preconception Care to the First Day of School: Transforming the Health of New Families With Lifestyle Medicine. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2020;14(5):532-540. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827620912703
