Maternal and neonatal factors related to prematurity

Laura Leismann de Oliveira1, Annelise de Carvalho Gonçalves2, Juvenal Soares Dias da Costa3,4

  • 1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Insights

Maternal age, education, multiple pregnancies, and inadequate prenatal care are key factors linked to prematurity. Immediate consequences include low birth weight and poor Apgar scores, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Neonatal Research
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Prematurity is a significant global health concern with severe neonatal outcomes.
  • Identifying associated maternal and neonatal factors is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate maternal and neonatal factors associated with preterm birth in Porto Alegre.
  • To understand the determinants of prematurity in a specific urban population.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based case-control study involving 19,457 births in Porto Alegre (2012).
  • Cases: newborns < 37 weeks gestation; Controls: newborns ≥ 37 weeks gestation.
  • Logistic regression analysis applied to sociodemographic, reproductive history, and gestational/birth factors.

Main Results:

  • Statistically significant associations found for: maternal age extremes ( <19 or >34 years), inadequate maternal education, multiple pregnancies, C-section, low birth weight (<2,500g), low Apgar scores (0-3 at 5 min), and inadequate prenatal care.
  • Low birth weight (OR=4.04) and low Apgar scores (OR=1.47) were immediate neonatal consequences.
  • Maternal age, education, multiple gestation, prenatal care, and C-section identified as potential distal determinants.

Conclusions:

  • Prematurity is strongly associated with immediate adverse neonatal outcomes like low birth weight and poor Apgar scores.
  • Maternal age, education, multiple gestation, inadequate prenatal care, and C-section are significant risk factors for prematurity.
  • Findings underscore the importance of addressing these factors for preterm birth prevention.
Abstract

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