Overwhelming stress from the risk of Russian bombardment is causing rising rates of premature childbirth in Ukrainian women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.
The UNFPA is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN, offering women and girls living in war zones safe childbirth, reproductive choices, and support to victims of gender-based violence.
Faye Callaghan, health specialist at the UNFPA in Kyiv, told The Independent that pregnant women at risk of Russian attacks can “feel like they have not effectively protected their unborn child”, severely damaging their mental health.
The UNFPA says that premature birthrates in frontline areas are said to be roughly double the national average.
