Postterm birth rate, Canada and the provinces/territories (excluding Ontario), 2006-2010
Notes:
*Data from Ontario were excluded because of data quality concerns.
Excludes live births with unknown gestational age.
Postterm birth rate is the number of births ≥ 42 weeks per 100 live births.
Source: CICH graphic created using data adapted from Statistics Canada, Vital Statistics; Public Healthy Agency of Canada: Perinatal Health Indicators for Canada, 2013. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aspc-phac/HP7-1-2013-eng.pdf -August 31, 2017.
From 2006 to 2010, the postterm birth rate varied between provinces and territories.
The lowest rates were in New Brunswick (0.33) Newfoundland & Labrador (0.34) and Québec (0.35).
The highest rates were in the Northwest Territories (3.37) and the Yukon (3.18).
Implications
Postterm pregnancies are associated with increased risks to the fetus, baby and mother. Women who have postterm pregnancies can be at increased risk of perinatal mortality – stillbirths plus early neonatal deaths. In addition babies born postterm may be at risk of morbidity such as the passage of meconium and meconium aspiration, low Apgar scores, low umbilical cord pH, birth injury, and other problems related to the increased length of the pregnancy.1
1Galal M, Symonds I, Murray H, Petraglia F, Smith R. Postterm pregnancy. Facts, Views & Vision in ObGyn. 2012;4(3):175-187.