DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i03.023

Pages: 740-743

Currently preterm labour is one of the most challenging problems confronting the obstetricians and perinatologists, as this unfortunate episode in the course of woman’s pregnancy takes a heavy toll of perinatal mortality which accounts for 50-75% of the perinatal mortality. A prospective study was conducted on 110 pregnant women with preterm labour admitted in Dr. Sushila Tiwari Memorial Hospital, Haldwani from Jan 2014 to June 2015 to study the causes and outcome of Preterm birth in Tertiary health centre of Uttarakhand. Our study concluded that the incidence of preterm birth from Jan 2014 to June 2015 was 14.34%. The maximum incidence was found between 34-37 weeks of gestation (47.27%) followed by 31-33 weeks (32.72%) and 28-30 weeks (20%). Past obstetric history had an impact on the outcome of the present pregnancy. 20% patients presenting with preterm labour had a past history of abortions and 16.4 % had a history of preterm delivery. Genitourinary tract infection was found to be the most common risk factor related with preterm labour. 75 patients had either vaginal infection (32.7%) or urinary tract infection (34.7%), or both. Premature rupture of membranes preceded onset of preterm labour in 31% cases. Another important risk factor identified in this study was antepartum haemorrhage which was the cause in 17.3% cases. Preterm babies suffered from various complications like jaundice (32.3%), respiratory distress syndrome (22.6%), sepsis, coagulopathy, hypocalcaemia, hypoglycaemia etc. Identifying risk factors to prevent onset of preterm labour, and an advanced neonatal care unit can help decrease neonatal morbidity and mortality.