More baby research funds demanded

Premature birth is a major cause of infant death

Babies' lives are being jeopardised by a lack of funding looking at the cause of premature births, a charity claims.

Action Medical Research said £3.7m - just 0.3% of the total research budget - was spent on research in this subject during the year 2004-2005.

However, a Department of Health spokeswoman said research spending in the area actually stood at £6m a year.

Around 43,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year, which is a major cause of infant death.

The government spends a tiny fraction of its total research budget on preventing premature birth, according to Action Medical Research.

The charity said its figure for government spending on the area came from the Hansard.

It added that even if the £6m quoted by the Department of Health was accurate, it was less than 1% of the total government's medical research budget.

Advanced technology and healthcare expertise has led to greater numbers of premature babies being born alive and surviving Department of Health spokeswoman

Its survey of more than 1,000 people revealed that the public wants to see the government spend an average of 24% of its budget on such research.

"This lack of priority for premature babies is completely at odds with what most people would like to see," said Andrew Proctor, the charity's communications director.

He added that he would like to see the government double its spending on the area.

He went on: "We assume that our babies' health will be championed by those we elected to power but it seems they disagree about where they believe our money should be invested."

Meanwhile, Prof Neil Marlow, president of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, said neonatal care has "dramatically improved the outcome for premature babies based on the results of good research studies".

Prof Marlow said: "Further benefits are being hampered by this lack of funding and were it not for the support of charities, we would be further than ever from being able to understand the causes and possible treatments for prematurity."

'Quality proposals'

The Department of Health spokeswoman, who stressed that the true level of government funding had been underestimated, said it was clear that research into premature births was important.

In addition to the £6m a year she said was allocated to research in the area each year, the spokeswoman said another £25m a year was available for projects benefiting patients.

She said: "Quality proposals for research into premature births can apply for a share of this funding for their projects.

"Advanced technology and healthcare expertise has led to greater numbers of premature babies being born alive and surviving - the infant mortality rate in England and Wales is at its lowest ever level - 4.9 per 1,000 live births."