Risk Factors Associated with Preterm Delivery in Chittagong City: a Case-Control Study

Abstract

Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks' gestational age. Hence, babies born due to preterm deliveries are known as preterm babies. This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with preterm delivery at Chittagong City. This is a case-control study that was conducted during the course of July 2019 until April 2020, covering all research steps, starting from study designing, data collection to the final report composing. This paper aims to discuss the various determinants of preterm deliveries in women by means of a case-control study that will be comparing between preterm delivery and normal delivery cases in Chittagong city. The study discussed in this paper has been designed to use a simple questionnaire followed by classifying and analyzing data to for drawing the final list of potential determinants of preterm deliveries. The general

factors that contribute to the incidents of preterm deliveries, include all types of stimulants- social, epidemiological and environmental factors. Factors significantly associated with pre- term delivery can range from low socio-economic class, previous pre-term delivery,

antepartum hemorrhage, premature rupture of fetal membranes, urinary tract infection, pregnancy induced hypertension, induced labor, and booking elsewhere outside the teaching hospital. The paper will further elaborate on certain potential factors and many more, depending on what the survey from the study brings us.