MATERNAL RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PRETERM BIRTH IN A TERTIARY RURAL CARE CENTER

Introduction. In India, according to 2010 data 3.5 million babies are born premature out of 27 million babies born every year which constitutes to 23.6% of world total preterm births. Preterm morbidity is not only limited to neonatal period but also extends to later life resulting in continuous physical, psychological and economic stress to the individual and family. Since few studies have been done on preterm babies in a rural setup to assess the common maternal risk factors responsible for preterm birth this observational study of maternal risk factors associated with preterm birth has been taken up. Material and methods. st st This is a prospective observational study done from 1 August 2019 - 31 July 2020 in Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical sciences, Mandya. Study sample comprised of 100 preterm babies born in the study period. Data was collected on a preformed Performa, it was compiled and entered in MS excel sheet. Results. In this study majority of women who delivered prematurely were primigravida (53.8%). Majority of women in this study belonged to age group 19-22 years (43.9%). More babies were delivered via LSCS (52%) when compared to vaginal route. Majority of women belonged to class III socio economic status (54.9%). Common maternal risk factors were PROM (30.8%), preeclampsia (20.9%), APH (13.2%) and Anemia (6.6%).19.8% of women had previous BOH of which most common was abortion (14.2%). Common fetal risk factors were Breech (11%), Multiple gestation (9.9%). Conclusion. Identication of maternal risk factors and early intervention can reduce the number of preterm deliveries and their associated morbidity and mortality.