DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v5i08.037

Pages: 3154-3157

Preterm delivery is a major challenge in perinatal healthcare. Most perinatal deaths occur in preterm infants and preterm birth is an important risk factor for neurological impairment. Preterm labor is a common complication that contributes significantly to high perinatal morbidity and mortality. The incidence of preterm labor in India is 10-15%. Preterm birth is an obstetrician’s dilemma and a pediatrician’s challenge. Preterm babies are at risk of many immediate and long term complications. Some preterm labour occur for no apparent reasons and others are associated with causal factors such as multiple pregnancy, foetal abnormality, maternal infections or antepartum hemorrhage which themselves maybe responsible for a substantial proportion of perinatal loss. This study aims at finding out the causes of preterm labour, perinatal outcome and identification of the cases which need intervention. This is a retrospective study done in the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology of a referral hospital. 544 women with preterm delivery and their perinatal outcome was study over a period of 1 year at a tertiary care centre. The case records of all the preterm deliveries were reviewed with regard to risk factor, gestational age, previous obstetrics history, and medical and obstetrics complications in present pregnancy and labour. The foetal outcome in terms of mortality and morbidity were also analyzed. According our study out of 3742 babies born, 544 were preterm. Thus, the incidence of preterm labor was 14.53%. Out of 119 preterm babies, 25 were still born and 30 out of 94 live births died within 7 days of delivery (recognized as early neonatal death). The total perinatal mortality among preterm births was found to be 55 out of 94. 55% of total perinatal deaths had pregnancy duration of 28 to 34 weeks. When compared to term births, preterm births had 7.2% still born babies, 15.9% early neonatal deaths and 9.8% perinatal mortality. Preterm labour inspite of its low incidence