DHAKA, May 23, 2025 (BSS) - Sanjida got married to Raihan two years ago. They were happy in their married life. After two-year, they took a plan to take a baby. And Sanjida got conceived as per their plan. But it was really shocking that their first baby (girl) died as she was born prematurely. After conceiving only six months and 23 days, she (Sanjida) gave birth to a premature baby. The baby died after three days of her birth.
 
Health experts have identified preterm birth complications as the number one cause for the high death rate of newborns in Bangladesh.
 
The rate of preterm birth, which is associated with some risk factors including adolescence pregnancy, short spacing between pregnancies, hypertension and obesity, is very high in the country, they said.
 
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sources said more than 3 million children are born every year in Bangladesh. The death from premature birth now tops the list.
 
Sources said out of three million children, some 0.6 million are born premature, and out of that 0.6 million premature births 20,000 infants die.

Dr Shamim Jahan, former director of Health, Nutrition & HIV/AIDS, Save the Children, said the number has decreased in comparison to 2016 as 23620 infants died due to premature birth that year. 
 
Dhaka Shishu (child) Hospital in Shaymoli, Dr Monir Hossain said Bangladesh ranks seven among top ten countries of the World on account of premature birth. "If a child is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, it is considered as premature," he added.
 
He said, "We found that prematurity was the number one cause of under-5 mortality. According to WHO, 14 percent of the children born in the country is premature, which means one premature birth out of seven."
 
The number of extreme premature, born before 28 weeks, has been estimated at 22,000 a year, Dr Monir said, adding these babies are considered as extreme pre-term and need extensive healthcare support.
 
The rate of prematurity can be lowered if we can bring changes in lifestyle, ensure infection prevention and early treatment of infection by paying attention to proper nutrition, preventing malnutrition and ensuring management in timing and spacing between pregnancies, he added. 
 
The doctor said, "We do not know the actual reason behind the premature birth of a child. But we know that there are some risk factors responsible for premature birth.
 
These are adolescent pregnancy, short intervals between pregnancies, hypertension, obesity, sexually transmitted infectious disease and history of prematurity, tobacco use, pollution, especially caused by cooking inside the living area, Dr Monir added.
 
Neonatologist Dr Saidur Rahman Shohag said, "Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a life-saving intervention for preterm babies that cost almost nothing. We can expand KMC intervention through motivation and behavioral change to prevent preterm deaths."