A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, yet some babies arrive sooner. A premature birth is a birth that takes place before the 37th week of pregnancy.

While some premature babies have serious medical complications or long-term health problems, many also go on to live normal healthy lives. With modern medicine and new technologies, babies are often able to survive when born earlier during the pregnancy. The dedicated staff in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and advancements in neonatal care have also improved outcomes.

These advancements include:
family integrated care programs
nutrition management
skin-to-skin contact with premature babies
efforts to reduce the number of infections in premature babies