Determination of Demographic and Maternal Risk Factors of Preterm Deliveries among Mothers

Background: Worldwide, preterm birth accounts for 1 million deaths of infants each year and 60% of these deaths occur in developing countries. In addition to the significant health consequences on the infant, preterm birth can lead to economic costs. The risk factors of preterm birth may vary from region to region within the same country due to variation in socioeconomic status and health care service coverage. Therefore, this study aimed to identify determinants of preterm birth in Kanyakumari district. Methods and Materials: An institutional-based case-control study was conducted. The eligible 50 cases and 50 controls were selected for this study. Cases were women who gave birth after 28 weeks and before 37 completed weeks of gestation, and controls were women who gave birth at and after 37 weeks of gestation from the first day of the last normal menstrual period. Data were collected by a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data was entered and analysed in SPSS 20, based on the objectives of the study using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify determinants of preterm birth at P-value less than0.05. Conclusion: This study found that the prevalence rate of preterm birth was 18% and the independent predictors of preterm birth were some maternal bases to the occurrence of a preterm birth. Mothers having Lack of nutritious diet intake, Cephalo Pelvic Disproportion / Contracted Pelvis and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus were reported as the most important maternal predictors of a preterm birth. Antenatal care services such as counselling the mother on the benefit of dietary supplementation during pregnancy, antenatal care follow upand lengthening birth interval should be integrated into the existing health extension packages. New and inclusive strategies such as the establishment of comprehensive mobile clinic services should also be designed to reduce the burden of preterm birth among women living in the rural community.