There were an average of 337 pre-term babies born each year between 2014 and 2016, out of the total of 13,343 births.

Replying to a Parliamentary Question posed by MP Godfrey Farrugia, Health Minister Chris Fearne explained that premature was defined to be babies born after less than 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Dr Fearne did not give any breakdown by year, and did not specify whether there had been any increase, as asked by Dr Farrugia. He also said that the information for 2017 was still being validated.

A separate PQ showed that there were 393 babies - 3% of the total born over the three-year period - who had congenital abnormalities. Of these, 12 were stillbirths, and 14 other died with the neonatal period (0-27 days).

Dr Fearne did give some information about 2017: nineteen babies under the age of one year were taken overseas for medical treatment. A further 117 aged between one year and 16 were also taken abroad for care.