Prognostic Factors and Survival Outcomes of Preterm Infants: A Cohort Study at the University Clinics of Graben, Butembo

Abstract Background The management of preterm births is still a major concern in different health facilities in Butembo, a town in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study aimed to describe the clinical progress and the survival rate of preterm births managed at the University Clinics of Graben (UCG) to improve the quality of care. Methods This was a cohort study involving preterm births managed at the UCG. The study was performed from January 2021 to May 2023. The information was gathered from preterm birth files and analyzed using Excel to determine the survival rate. Results The most common clinical complications (prognostic factors) observed in preterm birth were infections (87.8%), hypothermia (81.6%), respiratory distress (79.6%), and anemia (57.1%), most of which occurred in the early neonatal period. The total survival rate was 55.1%, with the survival curve exhibiting a decline in the first three days and a subsequent increase from the seventh to the eleventh day of follow-up. The Mantel test at a confidence level of 95% (M = 24.51279) revealed that death was early in preterm births whose gestational age was less than 32 weeks. Conclusion Abdominal bloating, enterocolitis, and hemorrhage were the complications that worsened the prognosis of preterm births. Therefore, there is a dire need to improve both the prevention measures and the treatment of preterm births in this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.