Prevalence of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membrane and Its Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Admitted in Debre Tabor General Hospital, North West Ethiopia: Institutional-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In Ethiopia, preterm premature rupture of membrane is defined as loss of amniotic fluid before the onset of labor in pregnancy >28 weeks of gestation but before 37 weeks. It is a significant cause of perinatal, neonatal, and maternal morbidity and mortality both in high- and low-income countries. Due to different factors associated with the quality of health care given and socioeconomic factors, the effect of preterm premature rupture of membrane is worsen in low-income countries. Little evidence is available about the problem in the study area. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of preterm premature rupture of membrane and its associated factors among pregnant women admitted in Debre Tabor General Hospital.

Methods: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 424 mothers were included in the study. Systematic random sampling was used to select study participants. A combination of chart review and interview was used to collect the data. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were computed.

Result: The prevalence of preterm premature rupture of membrane was found to be 13.7%. Pregnant women with abnormal vaginal discharge (AOR = 5.30, 95% CI  = 2.07-13.52), urinary tract infection (AOR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.32-5.19), history of premature rupture of membrane (AOR = 3.31, 95% CI = 1.32-8.27), vaginal bleeding (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.14-5.82), and mid-upper arm circumference <23 cm (AOR = 6.26, 95% CI = 3.21-12.20) were associated with preterm premature rupture of membrane.

Conclusions: The prevalence of preterm premature rupture of membrane was high. Abnormal vaginal discharge, urinary tract infection, vaginal bleeding, previous premature rupture of membrane, and mid-upper arm circumference <23 cm were associated with preterm premature rupture of membrane. Thus, early screening and treatment of urinary tract infections and abnormal vaginal discharges were recommended to reduce the risk of preterm premature rupture of membrane.