Deprivation

Premature births (<37 weeks) by deprivation

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The level of premature births in the most deprived decile has improved, reducing from 8.4% (2001/02-2003/04) to 7.0% in the most recent time period (2016/17-2014/15). In contrast, the level of premature births in the least deprived decile rose from 4.2% (2001/02-2003/04) to 5.5% (2012/11-2012/13) and then dropped slightly to 5.3% in the most recent time period (2016/17-2018/2019).

Note

Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks. If a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, they are premature (also known as preterm). The number of weeks into a pregnancy is also referred to as the “gestational age”.  The figures given are for singleton births, i.e. not twins, triplets or other multiples.

Scottish Morbidity Records for maternities (SMR02) have been used here to calculate the proportion of babies born prematurely (<37 weeks). The data have been aggregated into rolling groups of three fiscal years to produce annual averages.