Prevalence and risk factors for preterm delivery in UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo - A 5 year retrospective review

Introduction: Preterm delivery is the leading cause of death in the neonatal period. It causes 28% of perinatal mortality. In Nigeria, it is responsible for 40-60% of perinatal morbidity. According to a U.S. research, preterm births have surged globally. In 2016, 16.8% of singleton live births in Lagos, Nigeria, were preterm.Methods: It was a retrospective review of patients with singleton preterm delivery in UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo from July 2013 to June 2018. Case records of mothers/patients with preterm deliveries were retrieved. Information on the patients' age, parity, educational status, weight, body mass index, number of antenatal visits, identifiable causes of preterm delivery and others were all extracted.Result: During the research period, 2,234 babies were born, including 210 preterm singletons out of which 147 were reviewed. Singleton preterm birth prevalence was 9.4%.Of the 147 mothers, n (20.4) had premature rupture of membrane (PROM), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy occurred in n(17.0%), Urinary Tract Infection (10.8%) and malaria in pregnancy (6.1%).Conclusion: Preterm birth rates were low compared to recent rates in the country. PROM, malaria in pregnancy, UTI in pregnancy, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and previous history of spontaneous miscarriage were important causes/risk factors for preterm delivery.