CONCLUSION
In recent decades, advances in newborn care have resulted in
improved outcomes for large numbers of children who have been
born too early but this progress has not been matched by similar
advances in our ability to prevent preterm birth. Times have
changed. We now have increasing evidence that a variety of interventions
have potential to significantly and safely prevent a meaningful
proportion of preterm births. Translation of recent discoveries
into clinical practice will have different requirements for high
and low-resource settings, and for different population groups.
For each setting, the best chance of success will come from an
integrated implementation strategy that harnesses both the healthcare
personnel and the pregnant women for whom they provide
care. The interventions are in many cases multi-disciplinary and
require the participation of personnel from multiple fields including
those who make local and national policies. This process begins
with awareness across the medical and general communities that
preterm birth is one of modern health care’s greatest challenges,
but that prevention in many cases is now possible.