Summary of conclusions and recommendations
Table 1: Preterm live births and stillbirths in England in 2022
Provision and co-ordination of care
Table 2: Organisations involved in the funding and delivery of maternity and neonatal care
National targets, guidance and policy
Box 1: The Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle
The inquiry and the work of the Committee
Chapter 2: The case for change
Impact on parents and families
The economic cost of preterm birth
The national ambition to reduce preterm birth
Progress towards the maternity safety ambition
Inequalities in preterm birth incidence and outcomes
Updating the maternity safety ambition targets
Chapter 3: Risk factors and prevention
Risk factors for preterm birth
Box 2: Preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM)
Wider health and social factors
Interventions to prevent preterm birth
Figure 2: Screening and preventive treatments
Box 3: The Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance
Chapter 4: Optimising obstetric and neonatal care
Implementing national guidance
Box 5: Midwife continuity of carer
Benefits of family integrated care
Chapter 5: Follow-up care and support
Care and support needs following discharge from hospital
Box 6: The Netherlands TOP programme
The need for tailored health visitor support
Enhanced support and surveillance for babies born preterm
Accessing support in educational settings
Deferring or delaying school entry
Appendix 1: List of Members and Declarations of Interest
Appendix 4: Note on the Committee’s visit to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Evidence is published online at https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/701/preterm-birth-committee/publications/ and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7219 3074).
Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence.