Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017;5(1):e3.
Epub 2017 Jan 8.

Epidemiology and Related Risk Factors of Preterm Labor as an obstetrics emergency

Ali Asghar Halimi Asl  1 , Saeed Safari  2 , Mohsen Parvareshi Hamrah  2
Affiliations

Epidemiology and Related Risk Factors of Preterm Labor as an obstetrics emergency

Ali Asghar Halimi Asl et al. Emerg (Tehran). 2017.

Abstract

Introduction: Preterm birth is still a major health problem throughout the world, which results in 75% of neonatal mortality. Preterm labor not only inflicts financial and emotional distress, it may also lead to permanent disability. The present study was conducted to determine the related risk factors and preventive measures of preterm labor.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study assessed all preterm labors, as well as an equal number of term labors, during seven years, at an educational hospital. Probable risk factors of preterm labor were collected using medical profiles of participants by the aid of a pre-designed checklist. Significant related factors of preterm labor were used for multivariate logistic regression analysis with SPSS 21.0.

Result: 810 cases with the mean age of 28.33 ± 6.1 years were evaluated (48.7% preterm). Multipartite; fetal anomaly; prenatal care; smoking; not consuming folic acid and iron supplements; in vitro fertilization; history of infertility, caesarian section, trauma, systemic disease, and hypertension; amniotic fluid leak; rupture of membranes; cephalic presentation; vaginal bleeding; placenta decolman; oligohydramnios; pre-eclampsia; chorioamnionitis; uterine abnormalities; cervical insufficiency; intercourse during the previous week; short time since last delivery; and mother's weight significantly correlated with preterm labor.

Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, intercourse during the previous week, multipartite, short time from last delivery, preeclampsia, fetal anomaly, rupture of membranes, hypertension, and amniotic fluid leak, respectively, were risk factors for preterm labor. On the other hand, iron consumption, cephalic presentation, systematic disease, history of caesarian section, prenatal care, and mother's weight could be considered as protective factors.

Keywords: Premature birth; emergencies; fetal membranes; infant; obstetric labor; premature; premature rupture.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None

References

    1. Kliegman RM, Behrman R, Jenson H, Stanton B. Nelson textbook of pediatrics. Germany: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2007.
    1. Cunningham F, Leveno K, Bloom S, Hauth J, Rouse D. Spong CY Williams Obstetrics. USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Medical Publishing Division; 2010.
    1. Lawn JE, Cousens S, Zupan J, Team LNSS. 4 million neonatal deaths: when? Where? Why? The Lancet. 2005;365(9462):891–900. - PubMed
    1. Saigal S, Doyle LW. An overview of mortality and sequelae of preterm birth from infancy to adulthood. The Lancet. 2008;371(9608):261–9. - PubMed
    1. Blencowe H, Cousens S, Oestergaard MZ, Chou D, Moller A-B, Narwal R, et al. National, regional, and worldwide estimates of preterm birth rates in the year 2010 with time trends since 1990 for selected countries: a systematic analysis and implications. The Lancet. 2012;379(9832):2162–72. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources