Nearly 12% of births in Brazil are premature

Criado em 07/08/13 15h19 e atualizado em 07/08/13 15h27
Por Aline Leal Edição:s Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília – A survey shows that 11.7% of the babies in Brazil are born prematurely, i.e., before 37 weeks of gestation. The study was conducted by the Epidemiology Graduate Program of the Federal University of Pelotas, in collaboration with 12 universities.

The 2010 study “Premature Births and Their Possible Causes” demonstrates that among pregnant women under 15 years old, the premature birth rate is 10.8%. Among mothers from 20 to 34 years old, 6.7% of the births are premature. The survey further indicates that the South and Southeast regions have the highest prematurity rates: 12% and 12.5% respectively. Rates are 11.5% in the Central-West, 10.9% in the Northeast, and 10.8% in the North.

The survey also reveals that indigenous women present a larger premature birth rate of 8.1%. Rates among other racial varieties are 7.8% for white women, 7.7% for black women, 7.1% for creoles, and 6.3% for women of Asian descent.

Supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Health, the survey also indicates that premature births are the main cause of death among children younger than 1 month old. In Brazil, the child mortality rate for babies under 1 year old is 16 to a thousand babies alive, according to the Inter-agency Network of Information for Health Care (“RIPSA”).

The study further demonstrates that around 8% of the babies in Brazil are born underweight (under 2.5kg). Black women account for the largest percentage of women giving birth to underweight children: 9.4%, followed by white women (8.3%) and creoles (8.2%). Among Asian and indigenous women, rates are 7.6% and 7.7% respectively.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 15 million children were born prematurely in 2010 all over the world. Brazil ranks tenth among countries with the highest prematurity rates. Thus, still according to the survey, in spite of an increasingly lower child mortality rate, premature births are still on the rise.

UNICEF shows the relationship between the prematurity rise and caesarian sections. The largest numbers of ceasarians can be found in more developed regions (Southeast, South and Central-West), whereas the smallest ones are seen in the North and the Northeast. The organization, however, pointed out that a more detailed study should be carried out to make this relationship clearer.

Brazil has the highest rates of caesarian sections in the whole world, according to UNICEF. The organization reports that the number of caesarians rose from 37.8% of all the births (2000) to 52.3% (2010). WHO recommends the rate not to exceed 15%, and points out that an exceedingly high number of caesarians increases the mortality rate of mothers and children.

Editors: Juliana Andrade / Olga Bardawil
Translators: Fabrício Ferreira / Olga Bardawil

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