As part of the “coup de pouce” (helping hand) programme supporting employee projects, Lionel Bordarier, a senior banker at Corporate and Investment Banking, has received the support of the BNP Paribas Foundation for his efforts with the PremUp association, for which he volunteers.

An innovative foundation initiated by the government

The creation of PremUp, a foundation for scientific cooperation, is the result of an initiative of the Ministries of Research and Health. It aims to accelerate medical advances in the field of perinatal care through strong collaboration between research and care. In giving it formal recognition as an entity that supports the public good, the government expressed its hope that PremUp will be able, through private funding, to fight more effectively against prematurity and its consequences.

L’Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (the public hospital system for the city of Paris), INSERM (the National Institute of Health and Medical Research), the University Paris-Descartes, the University of Pierre and Marie Curie, the University of Paris-Diderot and the University Paris 12 – Val de Marne are the six founding members of PremUp. This arrangement allows the foundation to have access to the best possible scientific and care-providing teams and to possess a comprehensive and expert view of pregnancy and premature birth. This capacity is unique in Europe, enhancing the acceleration of knowledge in the field of perinatal care.

Responding to a national priority in public health

Prematurity has become increasingly common in France, rising by 15% over 10 years. Three factors explain this increase: later pregnancies; the increased frequency of multiple pregnancies; and induced preterm deliveries to protect the health of mother and baby. Slightly more than 6% of the 830,000 births that occur each year are premature births, representing 50,000 premature births. Despite improvements in care in recent years, prematurity remains an issue of great concern in France.

Making faster and longer strides in the fight against prematurity using an original strategy that effectively “integrates” the mother and child to:

•    preserve the health of the pregnant woman
•    prevent prematurity
•    protect the premature child.

This multidisciplinary, cross-functional approach represents the true strength of the foundation. It enables rapid implementation of collaborative projects in which several research and care units participate.
PremUp is made up of researchers and caregivers from three internationally-renowned type III perinatal centres for children born prematurely: the maternity and neonatal units of the Port Royal – Cochin Hospital; the Robert Debre Hospital; and the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal (CHIC) of Créteil. Together, they unite 2,000 medical persons who work with the PremUp foundation. This thematic research and care network also includes nearly 100 researchers from 11 academic research centres who are advancing the knowledge of perinatal care.

PremUp exhibition at the Senate: opening night on 2 June

As part of the PremUp Assises to be held on June 5 at the Palais du Luxembourg, the foundation has created a major exhibition on perinatal research and care and on prematurity. For the first time, the theme of pregnancy and prematurity, a major public health issue, will have its place in the Senate. This event is under the patronage of the Senate Commission for Social Affairs. A cocktail reception will be held on Wednesday, June 2 from 6pm to 8pm. For more information and to register for the event:
www.premup.org contact@premup.org