Whole Nine Months plan to cut preterm birthrates

A new plan to ensure more pregnancies last the ‘Whole Nine Months’ is taking shape as SA-based clinicians and researchers work together to prevent preterm birth.

Emily Holyoak with daughter Alexa 8 at the Womens and Childrens Hospital. Alexa was a prem baby. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

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Educating clinicians to follow best practice guidelines and keep babies in the womb for longer is expected to reduce the rising rate of preterm birth, which has long-term consequences for health and development.

Last night at SAHMRI, about 200 obstetricians, midwives, GPs and others involved in antenatal care met to launch The Whole Nine Months plan to reduce preterm births and support pregnant women.

Obstetrician Dr Monika Skubisz, who is drafting the new guidelines, says the plan can be expected to reduce preterm births by at least 8 per cent in the first year.

Based on a figure of 2000 preterm babies born in SA each year, that would save 160 babies from preterm birth and its consequences.

The plan is the brainchild of Professor John Newnham in Western Australia, who hails this health intervention as one with an immediate positive outcome.

“The single biggest thing is to ensure that babies aren’t delivered before 39 weeks without a medical reason,” he told The Advertiser.

“Delivering a baby before 39 weeks significantly increases its risk of behavioural and learning problems at school age.”

The Whole Nine Months is backed by the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance and supported by the State Government.

Emily Holyoak of West Beach gave birth to Alexa at 28 weeks and five days gestation, eight years ago.

“What I didn’t realise was that this is a long-term thing,” she said.

“It’s not just the initial few months it’s the ongoing issue that we deal with as a family, so there’s regular hospital visits, there’s always concerns about if there were to be learning difficulties.”