06 February 2009
By Julie Read
Premature births cost the UK economy an extra £939m a year, according to a controversial study.
Researchers at the Oxford Centre for Health Economics calculated what the costs would be for all the pre-term babies born in 2006 over the first 18 years of their life. The figure is based on health care, education and the costs to parents of having time off work.
The report said that increased funding for research into ways to delay premature births could save £260m a year.
The baby charity Tommy's, which funded the research, said this was the first study to look at the total cost to the public purse.
Jane Brewin, Tommy's chief executive, added: 'Given that the UK rate of premature birth is rising, this mammoth cost is set to grow even larger.' She said better neonatal care had improved the likelihood of these babies surviving but there were still considerable difficulties.
The study, published in the US journal Pediatrics, assigned a probability and cost to possible outcomes, including the need for neonatal care, varying degrees of disability and death.
But Andy Cole of the special care baby charity Bliss said: 'There are many reasons why children need help and support in their early years and to suggest that premature babies are a financial burden on society is entirely unjustified. We cannot and should not judge a life by an economic metric.'
A Department of Health spokesman said: 'The department is undertaking work that will help us identify gaps in research and highlight areas where further research is required.'
PFfeb2009
