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Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research: Global Health Group

Small vulnerable newborn

Small vulnerable newborns (SVNs) are babies born preterm (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), small for gestational age (below the 10th percentile), or with low birth weight (under 2,500 grams). In 2020, an estimated 35.3 million newborns – about one in four globally – were born SVN. These babies face increased risks of illness, developmental delays, and death. Being born SVN can affect a child’s long-term health and well-being, with consequences for the entire family and society.

To address this global challenge, The Lancet series on small vulnerable newborns was launched at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Cape Town in May 2023. The Launch event introduced the term “small vulnerable newborn” to unify efforts and raised awareness about the global importance and possibilities of preventing SVN births. The article series was authored by 55 scientists from around the world and coordinated by the Global Health Group at Tampere University, in collaboration with several international partners. It was published in The Lancet in May, 2023.

The series proposed a framework for prevention built around three pillars: recognising the problem, integrating interventions, and ensuring accountability through better measurement. These pillars are operationalised through recommended actions  at both national and international levels. At the national level, the actions include, for instance, ensuring early and high-quality antenal care for all women, dating all pregnancies and weighing all newborns, and promoting multi-sectoral collaboration.

Following the launch, the Global Health Group and partners organised regional launch events in Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, and Senegal. These events brought together stakeholders to share current scientific evidence on small vulnerable newborns and to advocate for the importance and opportunities to prevention strategies. Many SVN births can be prevented with simple, low-cost interventions. Better programming and implementation of the interventions can improve survival and health outcomes for newborns, reduce stillbirths, enhance maternal health, and support economic and social development.

Building on The Lancet series, the current phase of our research explores the feasibility of accelerating SVN prevention in various countries, based on stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of the recommended national actions. The study is conducted in collaboration with Global Health Group at Tampere University, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (Bangladesh), Aga Khan University, Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (Kenya), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru), and Likak Research (Senegal).

This research has been supported by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Gates Foundation.

 

Small Vulnerable Newborn Lancet

SVN series

  • Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Muthiani Y, Aboubaker S, Askari S, Bahl R, Black RE, Dalmiya N, Duggan CP, Hofmeyr GJ, Kennedy SH, Klein N, Lawn JE, Shiffman J, Simon J, Temmerman M; UNICEF–WHO Low Birthweight Estimates Group. Small vulnerable newborns—big potential for impact.  The Lancet. 2023 May 20;401(10389):1692-1706. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00354-9.