Perth researchers have made a major breakthrough that could cut premature births by up to 40 per cent.

More than 26,000 babies are born prematurely in Australia every year and Perth is the home to a national program to prevent pre term births.

The executive director at the Women’s & Infants Research Foundation says they do a measurement at 19 weeks and work out then if treatment is needed.

“We have a very simple treatment that needs to start that day which will halve the risk of that happening,” Professor John Newman told 6PR Breakfast.

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