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Ministry of Health
TABLE 16
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT LIVE BIRTHS BY GESTATIONAL AGE
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1993-1997 AND 1998

  1993 - 1997 1998  
  Low Birth Weight Live Births Gestational Age (in Weeks)    
Local Health Area Observed Ratio (p) Rate < 37 37-41 42+ N.S. Total Rate
001 Fernie 30 0.78   40.16 - 4 - - 4 25.00
002 Cranbrook 53 0.75 * 38.49 6 5 - - 11 44.72
003 Kimberley 13 0.76   39.04 2 1 - - 3 38.96
004 Windermere 23 0.97   49.89 1 2 - - 3 39.47
005 Creston 26 0.78   39.88 3 - - - 3 26.79
006/007 Kootenay Lake/Nelson 69 0.94   48.49 4 5 - - 9 35.71
009 Castlegar 42 1.25   64.12 5 3 - - 8 62.02
010 Arrow Lakes 12 0.80   41.10 1 1 - - 2 36.36
011 Trail 49 0.97   49.70 4 2 - - 6 36.81
012/013 Grand Forks/Kettle Valley 33 1.18   60.77 1 2 - - 3 29.13
014 Southern Okanagan 53 1.30   66.92 7 4 - - 11 72.85
015 Penticton 103 1.03   52.63 15 4 - - 19 57.23
016 Keremeos 15 1.22   62.76 - 1 - - 1 18.87
017 Princeton 9 0.83   42.45 1 - - - 1 25.64
018 Golden 18 0.79   40.72 2 1 - - 3 38.46
019 Revelstoke 24 0.90   46.42 1 1 - - 2 20.62
020 Salmon Arm 57 0.83   42.44 11 4 - - 15 56.60
021 Armstrong-Spallumcheen 23 0.96   49.04 3 2 - - 5 64.94
022 Vernon 104 0.67 * 34.56 24 9 - - 33 59.14
023 Central Okanagan 389 1.01   52.09 43 25 - - 68 50.75
024 Kamloops 279 1.00   51.18 46 21 - - 67 64.18
025 100 Mile House 50 1.26   64.43 4 3 - - 7 48.95
026 North Thompson 13 0.86   43.92 - 1 - - 1 17.54
027 Cariboo-Chilcotin 92 0.93   47.50 14 9 - - 23 60.85
028 Quesnel 92 1.04   53.15 9 5 - - 14 44.03
029 Lillooet 17 1.01   51.99 1 - - - 1 15.87
030 South Cariboo 33 1.41   72.21 2 2 - - 4 53.33
031 Merritt 53 1.32   67.60 5 1 - - 6 40.00
032 Hope 15 0.64   32.75 2 1 - - 3 32.97
033 Chilliwack 222 0.95   48.56 43 10 - - 53 66.58
034 Abbotsford 409 0.98   50.13 38 33 - - 71 43.19
035 Langley 298 0.89   45.93 36 13 - - 49 38.31
036 Surrey 1,423 1.11 * 56.87 204 117 1 - 322 62.14
037 Delta 311 1.04   53.42 39 12 - - 51 45.86
038 Richmond 416 0.96   49.29 56 22 - - 78 47.24
040 New Westminster 195 1.12   57.40 27 11 - - 38 58.73
041 Burnaby 565 1.08   55.70 74 35 - - 109 53.75
042 Maple Ridge 215 0.87 * 44.50 35 14 - - 49 54.26
043 Coquitlam 587 0.98   50.51 65 24 - - 89 40.83
044 North Vancouver 326 0.86 * 43.96 37 12 - - 49 36.87
045 West Vancouver-Bowen Is. 79 0.93   47.88 11 3 - - 14 46.05
046 Sunshine Coast 49 0.72 * 36.95 18 2 - - 20 86.96
047 Powell River 44 0.80   40.97 4 1 - - 5 27.47
048 Howe Sound 114 1.18   60.61 14 3 - - 17 43.04
049 Bella Coola Valley 12 0.94   48.00 1 - - - 1 22.22
050 Queen Charlotte 25 1.12   57.47 2 1 - - 3 38.46
051 Snow Country 7 1.62   83.33 - - - - - -
052 Prince Rupert 75 0.90   46.21 4 5 - - 9 38.46
053 Upper Skeena 19 0.86   43.98 5 2 - - 7 78.65
054 Smithers 59 0.80   40.97 13 3 - - 16 64.78
055/093 Burns Lake/Eutsuk 34 1.11   57.05 1 - - - 1 9.71
056 Nechako 59 0.81   41.81 5 3 - - 8 26.94
057 Prince George 378 1.06   54.33 41 22 - - 63 49.92
059 Peace River South 79 0.74 * 38.16 9 2 - - 11 31.98
060 Peace River North 106 0.86   44.00 8 16 - - 24 50.42
061 Greater Victoria 533 1.02   52.41 72 22 - - 94 52.11
062 Sooke 153 0.90   46.06 19 6 - - 25 43.78
063 Saanich 79 0.66 * 33.65 9 5 - - 14 33.25
064 Gulf Islands 12 0.46 * 23.53 - 1 - - 1 11.24
065 Cowichan 149 1.05   53.85 16 4 - - 20 37.66
066 Lake Cowichan 22 1.28   65.67 2 - - - 2 36.36
067 Ladysmith 42 0.87   44.59 4 1 - - 5 31.65
068 Nanaimo 234 0.94   48.12 19 16 - - 35 41.47
069 Qualicum 73 0.99   50.94 6 2 - - 8 27.68
070 Alberni 88 0.84   43.29 12 2 - - 14 45.31
071 Courtenay 133 0.87   44.48 27 6 - - 33 61.34
072/084 Campbell River/V.I. West 132 1.02   52.17 11 5 - - 16 32.92
075 Mission 123 1.00   51.38 21 8 - - 29 65.17
076 Agassiz-Harrison 17 0.79   40.48 2 - - - 2 23.53
077 Summerland 26 1.07   55.08 3 2 - - 5 60.98
078 Enderby 7 0.31 * 16.17 5 2 - - 7 82.35
080 Kitimat 37 0.92   47.25 4 1 - - 5 34.48
081 Fort Nelson 29 0.94   48.25 5 - - - 5 48.54
083 Central Coast 8 1.01   51.61 2 - - - 2 68.97
085 Vancouver Island North 67 1.14   58.57 4 1 - - 5 24.75
087/094 Stikine/Telegraph Creek 10 1.55   79.37 2 - - - 2 117.65
088 Terrace 89 1.00   51.33 13 4 - - 17 55.37
092 Nishga 7 0.73   37.43 - - - - - -
161 Vancouver City Centre 149 1.02   52.59 38 9 - - 47 80.34
162 Vancouver Downtown E. Side 194 1.30 * 66.76 12 13 - - 25 53.30
163 Vancouver North East 387 1.19 * 61.25 53 23 - - 76 66.14
164 Vancouver West Side 251 0.96   49.23 29 15 - - 44 45.22
165 Vancouver Midtown 362 1.17 * 59.98 43 23 - - 66 61.91
166 South Vancouver 436 1.16 * 59.35 40 15 - - 55 42.08
039 VANCOUVER TOTAL 1,805 1.14 * 58.45 215 98 - - 313 56.41
  N.S. 28 -   - - - - - - -
  PROVINCIAL TOTAL 11,798 1.00   51.34 1,480 671 1 - 2,152 50.15

Note: Low Birth Weight - birth weight less than 2,500 grams.
Ratio - observed over the expected low birth weight live births. *Statistical testing indicates that observed low birth weight live births are significantly different from the expected (p<0.05, two tailed).
Rate per 1,000 live births in the specified area.
LHA 039 Vancouver Total may include unspecified Vancouver addresses.
N.S. - Not Stated. Non-residents are excluded.

FIGURE 12
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT LIVE BIRTHS BY LOCAL HEALTH AREA
BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1993-1997

LOW BIRTH WEIGHT LIVE BIRTHS BY LOCAL HEALTH AREA

Note: Ratio - Observed over the expected. Refer to Figure 1 to clarify geographical location of Local Health Areas.

HIGHLIGHTS TO TABLE 16/FIGURE 12

  • The provincial low birth weight (LBW) (less than 2,500 grams) live birth rate for 1998 was 50.15 per 1,000 live births, which was lower than the 1993-1997 LBW rate (51.34).

  • The Local Health Areas (LHAs) with the highest LBW rates (based on at least 5 cases) in 1998 (number of births in parentheses) were:

    046Sunshine Coast86.96(20)
    078Enderby82.35(7)
    161Vancouver City Centre80.34(47)
    053Upper Skeena78.65(7)
    014Southern Okanagan72.85(11)

  • The LHAs with lowest LBW rates (based on at least 5 cases) in 1998 (number of births in parentheses) were:

    085Vancouver Island North24.75(5)
    056Nechako26.94 (8)
    047Powell River27.47(5)
    069Qualicum27.68(8)
    067Ladysmith31.65(5)

  • In 1998 there were two LHAs which did not have any low birth weight births; these were Snow Country and Nishga.

  • There were five LHAs with low birth weight ratios for the period 1993-1997 which were statistically significant and high (number of births and LBW rate per 1,000 live births, respectively, in parentheses):

    162Vancouver Downtown E. Side1.30(194) (66.76)

    163Vancouver North East1.19(387) (61.25)
    165Vancouver Midtown 1.17(362) (59.98)
    166South Vancouver1.16(436) (59.35)
    036Surrey1.11(1,423) (56.87)

  • There were nine LHAs with low birth weight ratios for the period 1993-1997 which were statistically significant and low (number of births and LBW rate per 1,000 live births in parentheses). The five lowest were:

    078Enderby0.31(7) (16.17)
    064Gulf Islands0.46(12) (23.53)
    063Saanich0.66(79) (33.65)
    022Vernon0.67(104) (34.56)
    046Sunshine Coast0.72(49) (36.95)