Some of Britain’s greatest artists have donated work to help raise £500,000 for pioneering research into the causes of premature birth.
Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley and Julian Opie are among 26 artists whose pieces will be auctioned at Christie’s next month in support of Borne, a new initiative at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Doctors say they find it “very hard” to attract funding as wealthy donors and drug companies prefer to target cancer and heart disease. More than 10 per cent of births in the UK are premature.
The Chelsea and Westminster team wants to reduce that rate, and with it, levels of disability and death in early babies.
The research focuses on several areas, including the effect of fish oils on women at risk of early delivery, and whether the use of the hormone progesterone can be combined with other drugs to prevent premature labour in mothers carrying more than one child.
Two new treatments to prevent cerebral palsy are also being investigated.
The auction will be held on June 26. Visit borne.org.uk for more details.
