Burden of low birth weight and short gestation from 1990–2021 and projection to 2050: assessment against 2030 malnutrition reduction targets

There are significant inequalities in the accessibility and quality of maternal and child healthcare between countries with high and low SDI scores. Temporal trends and forecasting results indicated increased disease burden for LBW and short gestation suggesting that 73 countries will not be able to achieve the 2030 nutritional target of a 30% reduction in preterm birth. Comprehensive policies to address maternal risk factors are required to reduce preterm birth, while upscaling of cost-effective life-saving interventions is needed to reduce the death of preterm infants.