Prevalence And Risk Factors of Preterm Births in the National Ribat University Teaching Hospital, North Sudan, January to April 2012

Abstract

Although major advances have been made in both obstetric care of the highrisk patient and in neonatal care, prematurity and its consequences remains the major contributor to perinatal mortality and the purpose of the study was to measure the prevalence of preterm births in the National Ribat University Teaching Hospital from January to April 2012. Premature birth is defined as birth before the 37th week of gestation. The study done was descriptive a caseseries hospital based, the study conducted 74 ladies who gave birth to preterm births in the NRUTH by using data collection forms filled from the hospital records during the mentioned period. The study showed that the percentage of preterm births in the period mentioned was 4.7% of all births, the majority where product of spontaneous preterm vaginal births, from which 88% were born between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation, major risk factor was found to be pregnancy - induced hypertension and its complications and gestational - diabetes mellitus and its complications. In conclusion, the prevalence of the Preterm Births in the NRUTH was found to be high compared to a study made in the Maternity Hospital in Sudan. It is recommended that more researches including a cross-sectional study or cohort study to be done to identify preventable causes of preterm births and the long term complications of it and lower the burden on families and health facilities.