Babies' lives are being jeopardised by a lack of funding for looking at the cause of premature birth, according to charity Action Medical Research.

The charity said £3.7m - just 0.3 per cent of the total research budget - was spent on research in this subject during 2004-05.

Around 43,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year, which is a major cause of infant death.

Action Medical Research communications director Andrew Proctor said: 'We assume that our babies' health will be championed by those we elected to power but it seems they disagree about where they believe our money should be invested'.

Read the press release here

Babies' lives are being jeopardised by a lack of funding for looking at the cause of premature birth, according to charity Action Medical Research.

The charity said£3.7m - just 0.3 per cent of the total research budget - was spent on research in this subject during 2004-05.

Around 43,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year, which is a major cause of infant death.

Action Medical Research communications director Andrew Proctor said: 'We assume that our babies' health will be championed by those we elected to power but it seems they disagree about where they believe our money should be invested'.

Read the press release here