Birth Risks Higher On Weekends; Risk Of Stillbirth, Early Neonatal Death Lower On Weekdays, Canadian Study Finds

The risk of stillbirth or early neonatal death is greater among infants delivered on weekends in Canada, says a study in the new issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Michael Kramer, of the department of pediatrics and epidemiology and biostatistics at McGill University in Montreal, and his colleagues examined data from more than 3 million births recorded in Canada between 1985 and 1998. They wanted to determine if delivery in a country with universal health care was riskier on weekends.