1 in 10 babies worldwide is born too soon. In Canada, 30,000 babies are born prematurely every year.
World Prematurity Day: Raise awareness and make a difference!
World Prematurity Day is observed every year to raise awareness of the challenges and long-term impact of preterm birth globally.
World Prematurity Day raises awareness of the impact of preterm birth globally.
Everyone from preemie parents to government at all levels are warmly invited to take part in activities, hold events, to raise awareness.
World Prematurity Day Theme 2025: Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future
What is World Prematurity Day?
World Prematurity Day, observed on November 17th, raises awareness about the challenges and risks associated with preterm birth (babies born less than 37 weeks gestation), which is a leading cause of death among children under five years old, and number one cause of childhood disability. It highlights the urgent need for better healthcare, policies, and support systems for premature babies and their families.
Key reasons for its importance include:
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Raising Awareness: To help educate the public and healthcare professionals about the prevalence and impact of premature births. Over 13 million babies are born preterm every year worldwide (30,000 in Canada). One million babies die each year from being born prematurely.
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Advocating for Better Care: To draw attention to the need for improved pre-natal and neonatal care, and parental engagement in the care of their babies in hospital.
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Supporting Families: To support the significant emotional and financial strain on the families of premature babies.
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Promoting Research and Innovation: To spotlight the challenges faced by premature babies, encourage research into prevention and care of preterm babies, as well as the long-term health outcomes, and promote the integration of research findings in real-world care.
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Global Solidarity: To unite people worldwide, including parents, healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers, to advocate for the rights of preterm babies and ensure they have the best start in life.
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Celebrating Strength and Resilience: To celebrate the strength of premature babies and their families and remember the babies who were gone too soon.
What is the Colour for World Prematurity Day?
World Prematurity Day is represented by the colour purple, which stands for sensitivity and exceptionality, so wear it with pride!
Other ideas include:
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asking your child’s school to have students wear purple on November 17, or holding a school fundraiser close to the date
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asking your co-workers to wear purple and donate to CPBF
Hold a Fundraiser
No effort is too small - even simple actions make a difference! Hold a fundraiser of any size in honour of World Prematurity Day!
Some ideas include:
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World Prematurity Day - School Campaign - Learn more here
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asking your child’s school to have students wear purple on November 17 and donate $2
Click images below to download and help us spread the word!
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we have created a letter so you can share with your child’s daycare or school – Download here
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if you would like to receive posters for your school/ day care, please email us at info@cpbf-fbpc.org
Canada's Role in Raising Awareness
CPBF plays a major role in promoting World Prematurity Day across Canada. We join forces with organizations and individuals from more than 100 countries to raise awareness, organize special events, and take action to address preterm birth and improve outcomes for preterm babies and families. We also support the International Global Illumination Project, lighting landmarks and monuments in purple to honour preemies, their families, and their dedicated caregivers.
Development of World Prematurity Day
The day was initiated in 2008 by EFCNI and partnering European parent organisations during their first ever meeting and celebrated in 2009 for the first time: 17 November was the day a founding member of EFCNI welcomed a daughter after having lost triplets due to preterm birth – the day signals hope and a new beginning. In 2010, the US organisation “March of Dimes”, the African organisation “LittleBigSouls”, the Australian “National Preemie Foundation”, and EFCNI joined forces across continents to make this special day truly global they also initiated the purple lighting as one symbol to honour preterm babies and their families.
Get creative and let us know how you plan to celebrate World Prematurity Day!
Thank you to our Silver Partners: Metapharm, Mallinckrodt & Gluckstein for supporting our advocacy throughout the year.
Thank you to our sponsors – Medela, Sanofi & AngelEye Health – for supporting our World Prematurity Day initiatives across Canada