November 17 marked World Prematurity Day, a day to raise awareness of the challenges facing premature babies and their families globally. /Chinanews Photo

Worldwide, 15 million babies are born preterm and more than a million die as a result every year, according to the World Health Organization. Babies who survive often have lifelong health problems and disabilities. /Xinhua Photo

Aware of the health risks of preterm births, medical staff in China trained mothers of premature newborns to touch, hug and take special care of their babies. /Xinhua Photo

On Friday, a mother was captured kissing her premature baby who just survived three weeks of intensive treatment at ICU at Shanxi Children’s Hospital in north China’s Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province. /Chinanews Photo