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
. 2020 Jan;10(1):e78-e86.
doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1708491. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Population-Based Estimation of the Preterm Birth Rate in Lilongwe, Malawi: Making Every Birth Count

Kathleen M Antony  1   2   3 , Peter N Kazembe  4 , Ryan M Pace  1   5 , Judy Levison  1 , Henry Phiri  6 , Grace Chiudzu  6 , Ronald Alan Harris  1 , Rose Chirwa  4 , Mary Nyondo  4 , Ellina Marko  4 , Andrew Chigayo  4 , Debora Nanthuru  4 , Bertha Banda  4 , Nicholas Twyman  1 , Susan M Ramin  1   2 , Susan P Raine  1 , Michael A Belfort  1   2 , Kjersti M Aagaard  1   2
Affiliations

Population-Based Estimation of the Preterm Birth Rate in Lilongwe, Malawi: Making Every Birth Count

Kathleen M Antony et al. AJP Rep. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to perform a population-based estimation of the preterm birth (PTB) rate in regions surrounding Lilongwe, Malawi. Study Design We partnered with obstetrician specialists, community health workers, local midwives, and clinicians in a 50 km region surrounding Lilongwe, Malawi, to perform a population-based estimation of the PTB rate during the study period from December 1, 2012 to May 19, 2015. Results Of the 14,792 births captured, 19.3% of births were preterm, including preterm early neonatal deaths. Additional PTB risk factors were similarly prevalent including domestic violence, HIV, malaria, anemia, and malnutrition. Conclusion When performing a population-based estimation of the rate of PTB, including women without antenatal care and women delivering at home, the 19.3% rate of PTB is among the highest recorded globally. This is accompanied by a high rate of risk factors and comorbid conditions.

Keywords: Malawi; global; global health; maternal health; preterm birth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest/Disclosure Statement The authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(A) Percentage of births as a function of reported gestational age for each type of health center or referral hospital. (B) Percent of births as a function of birth weight for each type of health center or referral hospital.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Liu L, Oza S, Hogan Det al. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2000-13, with projections to inform post-2015 priorities: an updated systematic analysis Lancet 2015385(9966):430–440. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Born too soon: the global action report on preterm birth. Available at:http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44864/1/9789241503433_eng.pdf. Accessed February 13, 2020
    1. Blencowe H, Cousens S, Oestergaard M Zet 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 Lancet 2012379(9832):2162–2172. - PubMed
    1. van den Broek N, Ntonya C, Kayira E, White S, Neilson J P. Preterm birth in rural Malawi: high incidence in ultrasound-dated population. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(11):3235–3237. - PubMed
    1. van den Broek N R, White S A, Goodall M et al. The APPLe study: a randomized, community-based, placebo-controlled trial of azithromycin for the prevention of preterm birth, with meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2009;6(12):e1000191. - PMC - PubMed