Preterm birth is the birth of a pēpi before 37 weeks of pregnancy (more than three weeks before the due date). It affects about 1 in 13 or 8% of births in Aotearoa.

Preterm birth may happen because labour starts or the waters break early (called spontaneous preterm birth) or it may be planned because staying pregnant is considered to be less safe for māmā/person and/or pēpi (called provider-initiated preterm birth, also known as iatrogenic).
All pēpi born preterm will need some extra support after they are born, and it may have some effect on their long-term health and wellbeing. How much support and how big an impact it will have often depends on how early pēpi is born.

Most preterm pēpi will be born between 34 and 37 weeks (sometimes called late preterm birth). These pēpi may spend some time in the neonatal intensive care or special care baby unit in the few days or weeks after birth but generally live very healthy lives.

Pēpi born before 34 weeks (sometimes called early preterm birth) will need more specialist care and will stay longer in the neonatal intensive care unit. In general, the earlier a pēpi is born, the longer they will need to stay. These preterm pēpi often need help with their breathing and feeding and are cared for in an incubator to keep them warm. They are also more likely to have jaundice, infection and bleeding.

Pēpi born before 28 weeks (sometimes called very or extreme preterm birth) have the highest chance of complications from preterm birth. A few will not survive being born so early and some may have long-term health issues including learning delay, behavioural issues, problems with their sight and hearing, and cerebral palsy (a condition which affects the ability to move and maintain balance and posture).
Few pēpi born at 23 weeks are able to survive. Pēpi born before 22 weeks are too young to survive.

If you are currently pregnant or planning a pregnancy, we have some useful information about prevention of spontaneous and provider-initiated preterm birth.