Frequency of Preterm Births, A Multi-Center Study

Objectives: To see the frequency of preterm births and their causes in our setups. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on the patients of Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Family Hospital and Chattha Hospital. Patients presented to obstetrics outpatient department or emergency to labor room, with 28-37 weeks of gestation from last date of menstrual period were observed and analyzed for study. The study comprised of total 610 cases of preterm births who presented in department of obstetrics with preterm labor. Results; Following are the important figures; Premature births 83%, C-section 64%, Urban 69.2%, Low Birth weight 8.3%. Maternal hypertension increased the risk of premature labour 8.44 time greater than non-hypertension mother and maternal diabetes raised the risk 6.96 times more than in non-diabetic mothers. Conclusion: Frequency of preterm births is alarming in our country, causing death and disabilities in babies.