Help all babies grow to term

This month saw the launch of what Tommy's hopes will be one of our most influential campaigns to date - Stop Premature Births. Coincidentally, our campaign launched at the same time as Amillia Taylor, the most premature baby on record, safely went home after four months in intensive care, after her birth at only 22 weeks gestation. Sadly, many families with very premature babies will not be so fortunate.

The UK has the highest rate of premature birth in western Europe, killing more babies than cot death, infections and congential anomalies combined.

By the time each of us leaves work today, another baby will have died as a result of being born too soon, totalling four tiny lives each day and 1,311 every year.

With the media's focus on the number of miracle babies who have gone on to live happy and healthy lives into adulthood, it is all too easy to forget that these are the exception. It is frequently overlooked that premature infants are at a greater risk of developing serious health problems such as cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, gastrointestinal problems, learning difficulties, vision and hearing loss.

Tommy's funds a number of studies into finding the causes of premature birth, including research on pre-eclampsia, on whether hormone-like substances can be used to stop genes activating early labour; and on identifying women who are at risk of premature labour by using novel bio-marker discovery technology, with a view to halving the number of premature births in this country by 2030.

It is only once we have a greater understanding of the reasons why so many women give birth prematurely, that health practitioners will be able to provide parents-to-be with better information and treatment.

For information about Tommy's Stop Premature Births Campaign, log on to www.tommys.org.