A premature or preterm baby is one born before 37 weeks. A premature baby is at increased risk of dying in infancy or of experiencing brain damage and chronic respiratory problems compared to a full-term baby. Preterm babies also develop important skills, such as turning over, reaching for items, crawling, walking and talking, later than full-term babies do. Looking for some of the causes of this increase, the study team analyzed information from Statistics Canada live birth and stillbirth data bases for these same years. There was a substantial increase in multiple births, from 1.9 percent to 2.1 percent of all births, during the study period.
Preterm birth is more common in multiple pregnancies.
In the past, approximately 40 percent of multiple births were preterm. More recently, this has increased to 50 percent. Increased obstetrical intervention resulted in lowered rates of stillbirth and miscarriage. Babies who otherwise might have been stillborn are being delivered early, and alive, by Caesarean section or labour induction. Many babies, while still preterm, are born later and healthier than previously.