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The Sandra Schmirler Foundation donates to primary NICU hospitals in each region of Canada. Primary NICU facilities are equipped to handle the most complicated and urgent cases of premature births. Premature babies from around the province are sent to these hospitals. By focusing our efforts on these primary NICU facilities, the Foundation has a greater impact with grants that are large enough to fund equipment purchases, expand facilities or training programs.

map of Canada showing primary NICU hospitals

Primary NICU facilities in Canada
  1. IWK Health Centre, Halifax
  2. Hopital Sainte-Justine, Montreal
  3. Children’s Hospital, Montreal
  4. Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
  5. McMaster Children’s, Hamilton
  6. Children’s Hospital of Manitoba, Winnipeg
  7. Regina General Hospital, Regina
  8. Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon
  9. Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary
  10. Stollery Children’s Hospital, Edmonton
  11. BC Women’s Hospital, Vancouver
  12. Victoria General Hospital, Victoria

Statistics

The number of premature births has increased in the last 20 years, primarily because women are having babies later in life and the increased use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) produces many more multiple births and therefore lower weight babies. Other reasons for the increase of premature births are substance abuse, eating disorders, infections, high blood pressure, trauma, chromosomal abnormalities and other health issues.

According to The Canadian Institute for Health Information, since 2001, the percentage of low birth weight babies has risen from 5.7% to 6.2% of live births. Babies who weigh less than 2500 grams at birth are considered low weight and at greater risk for serious and long-term health problems, both mental and developmental.

Normally, a fetus spends 40 weeks growing and developing in the womb before birth. This is called full term. Babies born before completing 37 weeks in the womb are defined as preterm or premature. Mildly premature, refers to babies who are born between 33 and 36 weeks gestation and have a birth weight of between 1500 and 2500 grams. Moderately premature, refers to babies who are born between 28 and 32 weeks gestation with a birth weight of between 1000 and 1500 grams. Extreme premature, refers to babies who are born before 28 completed weeks of gestation and a birth weight of less than 1000 grams. The extremely premature babies require very intensive support and are at the greatest risk of disabilities or death. These babies have immature hearts, lungs, gastrointestinal tracts, kidneys, and so on, that require special equipment and neonatal staff training.

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