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Multicenter Study
. 2019 Nov;109(11):1597-1604.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305287. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

Preterm Birth in China Between 2015 and 2016

Chang Chen  1 , Jin Wen Zhang  1 , Hong Wei Xia  1 , Hui Xin Zhang  1 , Ana Pilar Betran  1 , Lin Zhang  1 , Xiao Lin Hua  1 , Li Ping Feng  1 , Dan Chen  1 , Kang Sun  1 , Chun Ming Guo  1 , Hong Bo Qi  1 , Tao Duan  1 , Jun Zhang  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Preterm Birth in China Between 2015 and 2016

Chang Chen et al. Am J Public Health. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives. To describe the incidence, risk factors, and potential causes of preterm birth (PTB) in China between 2015 and 2016.Methods. The China Labor and Delivery Survey was a population-based multicenter study conducted from 2015 to 2016. We assigned each birth a weight based on the sampling frame. We calculated the incidence of PTB and the multivariable logistic regression, and we used 2-step cluster analysis to examine the relationships between PTB and maternal, fetal, and placental conditions.Results. The weighted nationwide incidence of PTB was 7.3% of all births and 6.7% of live births at 24 or more weeks of gestation. Of the PTBs, 70.5% were born after 34 weeks and 42.7% were iatrogenic. Nearly two thirds of all preterm births were attributable to maternal, fetal, or placental conditions, and one third had unknown etiology.Conclusions. This study provided information on the incidence of PTB in China and identified several factors associated with PTB. The high frequency of iatrogenic PTB calls for a careful assessment and prudent management of such pregnancies, as PTB has short- and long-term health consequences.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Incidence of Preterm Birth (Weighted), by Province, for (a) All Births and (b) Live Births: China, 2015–2016
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Percentage of Preterm Births (Weighted) by Hospital Level for (a) Etiology and (b) Gestational Age: China, 2015–2016 Note. pPROM = preterm premature rupture of membranes; PTB = preterm birth.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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