From Birth to the First Six Months
Preterm birth, birth weight, and infant feeding
The timing of when a baby is born and how he or she is fed in the first few months of life immediately affects their growth and development.
In 2013, 1,811 women gave birth in the KFL&A area.
Preterm birth
In 2013, 8.1 births for every 100 live births were preterm (less than 37 weeks), in the KFL&A area.
Factors associated with a higher rate of preterm birth:
- Older maternal age (40 to 44 years)
- First time mothers
- Mothers with 3 or more children
- Mental health concerns
- Overweight or obese
- Having an infant with a congenital anomaly
Birth weight
In 2013, 1 in 5 babies in the KFL&A area was born at an unhealthy weight.
Women under 25 years and women 35 years or older were more likely to have babies at a low birth weight (less than 2500g).
Infant feeding
In 2008, 60.3% of women surveyed decided how they would feed their baby before becoming pregnant, and 37.9% decided during pregnancy. During pregnancy, 90% of women intended to breastfeed, and 62% planned to breastfeed for 6 months or longer.
In 2012 and 2013, 71.3% of babies in the KFL&A area were exclusively breastfeeding at hospital discharge.
Canadian data suggests that women of:
- younger age,
- lower income, or
- lower education
are more likely to be at risk of poor breastfeeding outcomes.
In 2008, the most common reason for supplementing with formula in the first few months among women surveyed was the perception of not enough milk.
In 2008, a survey indicated that 19.4% of all infants had been given complementary foods by 2 months of age, 42.2% of all infants had been given complementary foods by 4 months of age, and 96.2% of all infants had been given complementary foods by 6 months of age.
Health Canada promotes breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and sustained for up to two years or longer with appropriate complementary feeding.
In 2013 to 2014, at 6 months of age 15% of mothers surveyed were feeding only breastmilk, 65% were feeding some breastmilk and some formula, and 20% were feeding only formula.
Why does this matter?
Babies born on time and fed nutritionally appropriate foods have healthier outcomes througout their development.
Data sources used
- IntelliHEALTH Ontario
- Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN)
- Infant Feeding Survey (IFS)
- Breasfeeding Friendly Initiative (BFI)
A full reference list and a print or digital copy of the report is available through Child and Babytalk in KFL&A.
More information about the data sources used is available online.