- Single = 40 weeks
- Twins = 37 weeks
- Triplets = 33 weeks
- Less than 28 weeks = Extremely preterm
- Between 28 and 32 weeks = Very preterm
- Between 32 and 37 weeks = Moderate to late preterm
Because they have not completed normal growth in the womb, premature babies may suffer from behavioural difficulties, long term health problems or cerebral palsy. Some research indicates that the earlier the birth, the more likely the risk of having special educational needs.
Death rates 2017: In the UK, 1,267 babies born after 24 weeks gestation died in their first 28 days of life.
Causes: In the UK, in 25% of preterm births the cause was planned delivery due to other conditions (e.g. pre-eclampsia, kidney disease or growth restriction). The remaining 75% of preterm births were unplanned and the cause often unknown or unclear.
Premature birth rate in UK
- Currently 1 in 13 babies (between 7% and 8% of all births) are born prematurely in the UK: in total this is around 60,000 each year.
- The UK survival rate of births between 22 and 26 weeks have improved.
Survival rate was 40% in 1995 and increased to 53% in 2006.
The UK rate of preterm births has not declined in the last 10 years. Possible reasons for lack of decline are thought to be that there are more older mothers, who are more likely to have high BMI, and/or more likely to be using assisted conception (e.g. IVF and ICSI), and to have multiple births.
Source: various (2019 figures unless otherwise noted).
