Effect of age and multiple pregnancies on premature delivery in Spain in 1996 and in 2006

Objective: to define the effect of age and multiple pregnancies on prematurity in Spain in 2 different periods. Material and methods: national delivery data from Spain (National Institute of Statistics) in 1996 and in 2006 (359.309 and 475.635 deliveries respectively). Results: the rate of prematurity has increased in 10 years from 4,7 to 7,0%. During the same time period the rate of women delivering with ≥ 40 years of age has doubled (1,9% to 3,8%). Prematurity was higher in women ≥ 40 years of age compared with women