Babies born close to term: Considerations, challenges and outcomes

[First paragraph] Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation, affects around 7-8% of all live births in England and Wales each year (Table 1). Prematurity is associated with significant problems in the newborn period and beyond. The least mature babies are most vulnerable to the effects of immaturity and disease processes related to their preterm birth in the neonatal period. In addition, birth before 32 weeks of gestation is known to carry increased risks of long-term developmental problems including cognitive deficits, behavioural problems, educational difficulties and cerebral palsy (Moore et al., 2012, Anderson et al., 2003, Johnson and Marlow, 2014, Saigal and Doyle, 2008, Vohr, 2014). These babies have, understandably, been the greatest focus of research to enhance knowledge and develop interventions to optimise survival and outcomes.