Premature birth before 37 weeks of gestation is the most common cause of infant mortality worldwide. Many pre-term infants who survive are impacted by both short- and long-term morbidity. Efforts by obstetricians and neonatologists have led to significant advances in reducing preterm birth and improving outcomes. In 2014, infant mortality in the United States was the lowest on record. However, additional work is still urgently needed to reduce the burden of preterm birth on patients, families, and society. We believe that this work requires strong collaboration between obstetricians and neonatologists. We selected topics for this theme issue with this goal in mind. This issue highlights current evidence as it relates to pressing topics on premature birth in the fields of obstetrics and neonatology
