The with survival rates and outcomes for preemies continually improving it is still important to identify the issues that come with being premature.

In general the incidence of preterm birth is increasing. Some countries have maintained a rate of preterm birth and others have continued to increase. The increase in the rate of premature birth can be attributed to several reasons ranging from IVF use to Socioecnomic status.

Incidence of premature birth by Socioeconomic Status

Where you come from and what you do can play a significant role in the outcomes of you birth. Socioeconomic Status as it is known can give us an insight into who is being affected by preterm birth and in what way.

Some researchers have reported substantial socioeconomic inequalities in the incidence of very preterm birth, particularly in countries with unequal access to health care, such as the United States, with nearly double the incidence in more deprived women compared with the least deprived. There have been substantial rises in the incidence of very preterm birth over the last 10 years, which have been attributed to increases in preterm birth in the lower socioeconomic brackets.

Below are socioeconomic status statistics from around the world. This list is always continuing to grow. So if you country is not listed let us know you are interested in seeing them for your country and we'll do our best to acquire the relevant information. 

Preterm SES statistics from Australia

In 2005 women who gave birth and were in the least disadvantaged quintile (5th Quintile) were older, less likely to be Indigenous, and less likely to smoke during pregnancy, compared with women in the other quintiles Preterm birth and low birth weight were less likely in the in the least disadvantaged quintile

Technical Reference List

Shingairai, A. F., Siobon, D. H., & Godfrey, B. W. (2004). Risk factors for prematurity at Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe. International Journal of Epidemiology, 33, 1194-1201.

Leung, T. N., Roach, V. J., & Lau, T. K. (1998). Incidence of preterm delivery in Hong Kong Chinese. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol, 38(2), 138-141.

Morken, N.-H., Kallen, K., Hagberg, H., & Jacobsson, B. (2005). Preterm birth in Sweden 1973-2001: rate, subgroups, and effect of changing patterns in multiple births, maternal age, and smoking. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 84(6), 558-565.

Singh, U., Singh, N., & Shikha, S. (2007). A prospective analysis of etiology and outcome of preterm labor. Thr Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 57(1), 48-52.