Premature births have reduced by eight per cent in WA and are at their lowest rate in six years as a result of a preterm birth prevention program led by The University of Western Australia.
Health Minister John Day said the reduction translated to about 200 babies who have been given a better chance of a healthy future.
Head of the School of Women's and Infants' Health, John Newnham, said preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 and after 20 weeks gestation, was the greatest cause of death and disability in children under five years old.
"Premature birth affects one in 12 Western Australian pregnancies - approximately 3000 births per year - and in Aboriginal women, the incidence is one in seven," Professor Newnham said.
"Those born at the earliest gestational ages may suffer from severe problems such as cerebral palsy, developmental delay or blindness.
"For those born at a later gestation, even approaching full-term, there may be behavioural and learning problems."
The program dubbed 'the whole nine months' aims to reduce preterm births by 35 per cent and includes a public health campaign, extra training for healthcare professionals and a specialist preterm birth prevention clinic at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Mr Day said 34,000 women gave birth each year in WA.
