Government

Quick access to information based on government's structure

Ministry of Health
TABLE 13
LIVE BIRTHS BY BIRTH WEIGHT AND GESTATIONAL AGE
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1998

Birth Weight Gestational Age (in Weeks)  
(in Grams) <20 20-27 28-36 37-41 42+ N.S. Total
<500 - 25 1 1 - - 27
500-749 - 54 2 - - - 56
750-999 1 43 10 1 - - 55
1,000-1,249 - 17 61 - - - 78
1,250-1,499 - 1 99 - - - 100
1,500-1,749 - 2 168 11 - - 181
1,750-1,999 - - 206 33 - - 239
2,000-2,249 - - 345 145 - - 490
2,250-2,499 - - 445 480 1 - 926
2,500-2,749 - - 439 1,469 4 - 1,912
2,750-2,999 - - 403 3,570 14 - 3,987
3,000-3,249 - - 223 6,463 58 1 6,745
3,250-3,499 - - 114 8,168 101 1 8,384
3,500-3,749 - - 42 7,639 149 - 7,830
3,750-3,999 - - 17 5,666 149 1 5,833
4,000-4,249 - - 2 3,305 130 - 3,437
4,250-4,499 - - 4 1,508 81 - 1,593
4,500-4,749 - - 2 606 26 - 634
4,750-4,999 - - 1 238 27 - 266
5,000-5,249 - - - 63 5 - 68
5,250-5,499 - - - 21 - - 21
5,500+ - - - 10 1 - 11
N.S. - - - 4 - 32 36
TOTAL 1 142 2,584 39,401 746 35 42,909

Note: Non-residents are excluded.
N.S. - Not Stated.

HIGHLIGHTS TO TABLE 13

  • In 1998, almost nine out of ten live births (37,788) were delivered at term (from 37 to 41 weeks gestation) with normal birth weight (2,500 to 4,499 grams). These babies with "healthy" gestational ages and birth weights accounted for 88.1% of 1998 live births.

  • There were 2,152 live births with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) and 2,727 pre-term (less than 37 weeks gestation) live births in 1998. A total of 1,480 babies (3.4%) were both pre-term and low birth weight; out of this group, one in ten (141 births) was extremely premature (less than 28 weeks gestation) and very low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams).

  • Post-term (42 or more weeks of gestation) deliveries occurred in 746 births in 1998. There were 1,000 births with high birth weight (4,500 grams or more), 59 of which were also post-term.

  • Out of approximately 1,000 live births in 1998:
by birth weight by gestational age
  • 50 were low birth weight (2,152 births), of which:
    • 1 had birth weight less than 500 grams (27)
    • 7 had birth weight less than 1,500 grams (316)
  • 926 were normal birth weight (39,721)
  • 23 were high birth weight (1,000)
  • 64 were pre-term (2,727 births), of which:
    • 3 were extremely premature (less than 28 weeks) (143)
    • 60 were moderately premature (28-36 weeks) (2,584)
  • 918 were term (39,401)
  • 17 were post-term (746)