These preterm baby glow up photos will definitely make you cry

Nurses and doctors around the world are getting a virtual hug in honor of World Prematurity Day, a yearly observance in which parents share photos of their healthy children who were born early.

The event, held each year on November 17th, serves to recognize the 15 million babies born premature (before the 37th week of pregnancy). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the complications from premature birth are the leading cause of death among kids under the age of 5. There’s no clear-cut reason some babies are born early — according to WHO, most occur spontaneously — and complications for those kids include physical and learning disabilities.

While affordable pre-and-post-natal care and skin-to-skin contact are a few ways to prevent and treat preterm births, parents are also doing their part to raise awareness.

On Friday, for inspiration, people shared photos of their adorable children who flourished despite being born prematurely.

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