Preterm birth: associated risk factors in the tertiary care center

The study aimed at identifying the prevalence of preterm birth and the associated risk factors.

A quantitative approach using a retrospective case-control study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Udupi district, Karnataka. The sample consisted of women who delivered in the hospital. Among them, cases (250) were records of women who had delivered before 37 weeks of gestation, and controls (500) were records of women who delivered after 37 weeks ¹ of gestation without any Obstetrics complications.

The study revealed that the prevalence of preterm birth was 356 (14.86%) out of 2402 deliveries. Among these, only 250 were assessed. Preterm birth was significantly associated with age, place of residence, degree of education, occupation, marital status, gravida, number of deliveries, type of deliveries, gap between births, blood type, and religion. Pregnant women exposed or at risk for preterm birth included those diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension, those who took medication during pregnancy, those with a history of abortion, those engaged in intense physical labor, and those who conceived after the age of 30.

The prevalence of preterm birth can be minimized if modifiable risk factors are controlled, while non-modifiable risk factors require keen supervision. Health professionals must be alert to all modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.