Main principles of a selective (single-disease) screening and scoring system for prematurity

The main principles for preparation of both a simple screening and of the more complex scoring systems are demonstrated by means of comparison of papers performing the prediction of the risk of premature delivery in different ways. The reliability of prediction, that is different for the risk of an individual and of a group, depends on the adherence to these principles. The mode of use of some of these principles is demonstrated by means to data obtained from the own epidemiologic study. The histograms document an objective possibility of assessment of the borderline of risk for the risk factors characterized by a numerical joint sequence. On the basis of calculation of the actual risk of some risk factors together with assessment of their frequency in the population and of their treatability it is possible to differentiate objectively to which of them the intervention strategy has to be focussed primarily in order to decrease the frequency of prematurity.