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Published on: January 12, 2018
A study on preterm births during 2013-2015, Shiraz, Iran
Elham Jaberi1, Mirkazemi Roksana2
1a Baha'i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) , Shiraz , Iran.
Insights
Preterm birth complications are a major concern in Iran, with a 12.7% prematurity rate and significant rates of respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Targeted interventions are crucial to reduce infant mortality and morbidity.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Health
- Public Health
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity globally.
- Inadequate perinatal statistics in developing countries hinder effective healthcare planning.
- Tertiary care settings play a critical role in managing preterm deliveries and their complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of preterm births in tertiary care university hospitals in Shiraz, Iran.
- To evaluate the health outcomes and complications associated with preterm deliveries.
- To provide data for improving neonatal care and prevention strategies in Iran.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of hospital records from 2013-2015.
- Inclusion of all premature babies born in five governmental tertiary care settings.
- Analysis of prevalence, mortality, and specific morbidities such as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), Sepsis, Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).
Main Results:
- Overall prematurity rate was 127.6 per 1000 live births (12.7%).
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) affected 23.8% of preterm newborns (82.4 per 1000 live births).
- 52.6% of preterm infants required Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission; mortality was 9.9%.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth and its associated complications pose a significant challenge in Iran.
- There is a need for enhanced measures to prevent preterm births and manage their complications.
- Improving perinatal health care indicators is essential for identifying and addressing critical issues in neonatal health.
Abstract:
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality and a substantial portion of neonatal morbidities. The perinatal mortality and morbidity statistics in developing countries are inadequate. In this study, we assessed prevalence and health outcomes of preterm deliveries in tertiary care university hospitals. A retrospective study of hospital records of premature babies born in all the five governmental tertiary care settings during the time interval of 2013-2015 in Shiraz was conducted. Result of this study showed that there was an overall 127.6 premature births per 1000 live births in the study duration. 23.8% of premature newborn had RDS and Incidence of prematurity with RDS was 82.4 per thousand live births. 52.6% of premature newborns were hospitalised in NICU and 8.5% had ROP. Five percent suffered from sepsis and 1% suffered from NEC. Overall mortality was nearly 10% of all the premature newborn. In conclusion, this study showed that premature births and its complications for newborn need to be addressed more in Iran. Impact statement Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidities. Mortality and morbidity statistics related to preterm infants are important healthcare indicators implying the quality of the perinatal health care system and are prerequisite for the identification of problems and implementation of preventive measures. However, the perinatal mortality and morbidity statistics in developing countries are inadequate. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence and health outcome of preterm deliveries in tertiary care university hospitals in Shiraz city, Iran. This study showed that prematurity rate was 12.7%. Among preterm cases, 52.6% were admitted to NICU. RDS occurred among 23.8% of the total premature neonates and 8.2% of the total live births. The incidence of NEC was 1/0% of the total premature neonates and 0.4% of the total live births. The incidence of sepsis was 5% of the premature neonates and 1.9% of the total live births and the incidence of ROP was 8.5% among the premature neonate. The overall mortality of premature neonates was 9.9% of the total premature neonates and 1.2% of the total live births. Rigorous measures for prevention of premature births and its complications for newborns are required in Iran.
