Background: To determine the prevalence of preterm delivery and identify the associated risk factors.
Design: This was a five - month prospective case control study of two cohorts of women who had preterm and term deliveries.
Setting: Central Hospital (CH), Warri, and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, respectively in southern Nigeria.
Participants: 522 women which consisted of 174 who presented in preterm labour or with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes as cases and 348 parturient with term deliveries served as controls.
Interventions: The study was conducted from May 1st 2015 to September 30th 2015. Socio - demographic characteristics, past gynaecological/obstetric factors, maternal/obstetric factors, and fetal outcomes were compared, and associations between these variables and gestational age at delivery were determined.
Main outcome measures: Prevalence of preterm delivery associated clinical and socio-demographic correlates and the fetal salvage rates.
Results: The incidence of preterm birth was 16%. Maternal age (p < 0.002), parity (p < 0.000), booking status (p < 0.000), and socio - economic class (p < 0.000) were significantly associated with preterm births. Others were multiple pregnancy (p < 0.000), pre - eclampsia/eclampsia (p < 0.000), anaemia (p < 0.000), malaria (p < 0.000), UTI (p < 0.012), premature rupture of membrane (p < 0.000) and antepartum haemorrhage (p < 0.000). Fetal salvage rate was zero for extreme preterm neonates and 100% at late preterm.
Conclusion: Preterm birth was common, with well-defined correlates and predictors. The fetal salvage rates were significantly different across the categories of preterm neonates.
Funding: The study was self-funded by the authors.
Keywords: Nigeria; gestational age; parity; pregnancy; preterm; prevalence; risk factors.