Our mission is to help prevent premature birth,
and to support prematurely born babies,
their families and caregivers.

  • 15 million babies are born prematurely each year worldwide, and pre-term birth rates are increasing.
  • 1 million babies die each year due to pre-mature birth complications.
  • Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years.
  • In the Netherlands, over 15,000 babies are born prematurely each year.
  • Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing
    problems.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO) and Project UNIEK, Amsterdam UMC


Our mission is to help prevent premature birth, and to support prematurely born babies, their families and caregivers. We do this by supporting research into healthy pregnancies and perinatal health, and helping premature babies and their families during and after their time in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). You can help! Please consider a donation to the Sophie Foundation. All donations are welcome, big and small – and will be used for the identified projects (see examples below, please check the “Projects” page to see all projects).

1 million babies die each year due to pre-mature birth complications