Abstract
IntroductionPreterm birth, a leading cause of neonatal mortality accounts for 35 percent of all neonatal deaths worldwide. Uganda's high preterm birth rate of 13.6 per 1000 live births ranks 28th in the world. Efforts at reducing these pre-term births must entail interventions that target any associated risk factors. This study therefore aimed at identifying and describing the risk factors for preterm births among mothers delivering in Mulago Hospital.MethodsThis was a case control study among postpartum women in Mulago Hospital. Ninety nine women with preterm newborns were recruited as cases and 193 with full term babies were the controls. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to STATA 11 for univariate analysis and multivariate analysis by logistic regression.ResultsRisk factors for preterm birth included maternal height less than 1.5 meters (OR 131.08 (20.35-844.02)), rural residence (OR 6.56(2.68-16.10)) and failure to attend antenatal care clinic (OR 8.88(1.44-54.67)). Pregnancy related risk factors included PPROM (OR 287.11(49.26-1673.28)), antepartum haemorrhage (OR 7.33(1.23-43.72)) and preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR 16.24(3.11-84.70)).ConclusionPreterm birth is more likely to occur in women of short stature, living in rural areas and those who do not attend antenatal care clinic. The preterm birth risk is higher for women who get PPROM, APH and preeclampsia/eclampsia in pregnancy. Early recognition and management of these high risk conditions among pregnant women may lead to a reduction in preterm birth rates.
Highlights
IntroductionA leading cause of neonatal mortality accounts for 35 percent of all neonatal deaths worldwide
Preterm birth, a leading cause of neonatal mortality accounts for 35 percent of all neonatal deaths worldwide
Factors found to be associated with preterm birth at bivariate analysis were maternal height less than 1.5 metres, body mass index equal or more than 25.0kg/m2, rural
Summary
A leading cause of neonatal mortality accounts for 35 percent of all neonatal deaths worldwide. Uganda's high preterm birth rate of 13.6 per 1000 live births ranks 28th in the world Efforts at reducing these pre-term births must entail interventions that target any associated risk factors. In order to achieve the new global targets for neonatal mortality of less than 10 deaths per 1000 live births by 2035 [1], Uganda has to worker harder than before to reduce preterm birth incidence. This will require identifying ways to address preventable causes of preterm birth as a priority in low income countries [2]. This study examined factors associated with preterm birth so as to inform formulation of interventions for reducing preterm births
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
