60-70% of preterm births occur due to spontaneous onset of labor
Existing treatments such as medications, hormones (progesterone), surgical interventions (cerclage), and pessaries are unsatisfactory. Therefore the rate of preterm births has not changed in decades
Infants born preterm are over 40 times more likely to die during the neonatal period than are term infants
A significant proportion of preterm-born children experience short & long-term complications including respiratory impairment, feeding disorders, neurological disabilities, vision disorders, hearing impairment, developmental delay and cerebral palsy