A Study of Risk Factors Associated with Preterm Labour at a Tertiary Care Centre in Jodhpur, Western Rajasthan

Objective: To identify different associated risk factors of preterm labour and their role in preterm births. Study design: It is a prospective hospital based observational study done in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in our hospital for a period of 4 months from May 2019 to August 2019 taking 300 cases delivered in these months. Results: The incidence of preterm birth is found to be 8.28 %. Looking at the onset, it is found that incidence of spontaneous preterm labour is 63.33 %, Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes is 24.00 % and iatrogenic preterm birth is 12.67 %. It is found that the most common risk factors associated with preterm births is maternal genitourinary infections (incidence 29 %). Two other more important risk factors with approximately equal incidences are birth interval less than 1.5 years (incidence 27.67 %), low socioeconomic status (incidence 27.34 %). Other important risk factors include prior preterm delivery (incidence 17.0 %), bleeding per vaginum (BPV) during first trimester (incidence 16.0 %), age less than or equal to 20 years (incidence 15 %) and habit of tobacco chewing (incidence 14.67 %). Conclusion: Mostly, the risk factors of preterm births are modifiable and hence preventable. Therefore, preconceptional counseling has a great role to play in bringing down the incidence of preterm labour.