Publications

Born before completing 37 weeks of gestation or 259 days from the first day of a woman'slast menstrual period, preterm birth, as per WHO, is the leading cause of infant mortalityglobally. In 2013, it accounted for 1 million out of 6.3 million deaths among children under5. While predominantly affecting developing nations, its impact extends worldwide,influencing maternal health and the survival challenges faced by premature infants. Aninvestigation aimed to discern the prevalence of preterm birth and its associated factors atHRRH was conducted. This cross-sectional, institution-based study assessed mothersdelivering newborns at HRRH from March 1st to 31st, 2021. A sample of 60 mothers wasselected using simple sampling techniques. Face-to-face interviews with structuredquestionnaires gathered data, which was coded, organized manually, and analyzed usingSPSS for descriptive parameters. The study revealed a 33% prevalence rate of preterm birth.Risk factors identified included a history of preterm labor (P=1.00), premature rupture ofmembranes (P=<0.001), urinary tract infection during pregnancy (P=0.01), hypertensionduring pregnancy (P=0.836), history of malaria during pregnancy (P=0.003), and infantgender (P=0.144). Recognizing pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery and enhancinghealthcare quality, community health education, and awareness campaigns are crucialsteps to mitigate the incidence and consequences of preterm birth. Moreover, furtherresearch with larger sample sizes is warranted to explore additional associations leading topreterm birth