在美国,每年有大于500,000的新生儿为早产儿,约占所有新生儿的12.5%,且这一比例正逐步升高。[1]Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Menacker F, et al. Preliminary births for 2004: infant and maternal health. November 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ (last accessed 10 May 2017).http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/prelimbirths04/prelimbirths04health.htm早产儿对社会造成的经济和心理负担不容小觑。估计每年美国针对早产儿的经济支出为262亿美元。2014 年,在英国,37 孕周前分娩的婴儿占活产婴儿的 6.4%-9.9%,具体情况取决于种族。[2]Office for National Statistics. Birth characteristics in England and Wales: 2014. October 2015. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ (last accessed 10 May 2017).http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthcharacteristicsinenglandandwales/2015-10-08
三分之一的早产是医源性的(例如由于母体或胎儿存在引产指征)。[1]Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Menacker F, et al. Preliminary births for 2004: infant and maternal health. November 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ (last accessed 10 May 2017).http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/prelimbirths04/prelimbirths04health.htm早产发生率的增加与医源性因素及自发性因素均相关,同时在风险更低的孕妇中亦出现了早产发生率的增加。在过去的十年中,在20岁至40岁的低危欧洲女性中,早产的发生率已增加了50%。[3]Langhoff-Roos J, Kesmodel U, Jacobsson B, et al. Spontaneous preterm delivery in primiparous women at low risk in Denmark: population-based study. BMJ. 2006;332:937-939.http://www.bmj.com/content/332/7547/937.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16497733?tool=bestpractice.com在黑人女性中,早产的发生率更高,这可能部分与黑人女性处于社会弱势有关。然而,基因多态性的差异也可以或多或少解释我们所观察到的种族间的差异。[4]Balchin I, Steer PJ. Race, prematurity and immaturity. Early Hum Dev. 2007;83:749-754.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17928174?tool=bestpractice.com
妊娠周数小于32周的新生儿约占总数的1%。死亡率和严重并发症发病率在大于32周的新生儿中并不常见,而那些不太明显的远期效应,例如儿童期的行为问题,即使是在较晚孕周发生早产的病例中仍有发生。