Abstract

Background: Preterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and long term morbidity as well as the long term health consequences and neurodevelopmental outcome. Objectives: To study the relationship between sociodemographic factors, obstetric, fetal factors, chronic maternal diseases and preterm births and to study the percentage of late preterm, moderately preterm and very preterm births. Material and Methods: 100 preterm births (cases) and 100 term births (control cases) which took place in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a teaching hospital were enrolled in the study. A detailed questionnaire was used to record sociodemographic factors, maternal and antenatal characteristics of current and previous pregnancies. Data was analyzed. Results: Pre-eclampsia (p<0.01), preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (p<0.01), previous history of preterm births (p<0.01), IUD (p<0.05), genitourinary infections (p<0.02) and polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios (p<0.05) were determined as significant risk factors for preterm birth. 53.1% preterm babies were late preterm babies. Conclusions: Early detection and treatment of diseases or disorders among pregnant women especially hypertension, genitourinary infections, oligohydramnios/ polyhydramnios as well as improving health care quality delivered to pregnant women may reduce the risk of preterm births according to our study.

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