Preterm birth and factors: An institution based cross-sectional study in case of southern Ethiopia

Background: Despite all the effort it has been taken, preterm birth is the most prevailed problem in modern obstetrics, in which it 40% of under-five death is accounted due to prematurity. In Ethiopia, 34% of neonatal deaths prematurity are because of prematurity. The multifactorial nature of factors related to preterm birth makes its etiology of poorly understood. In this regard, the evidence is limited in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess preterm birth and associated factors in Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 258 samples from February to April 2018 in Jinka General hospital, Southern Ethiopia. By using face-to- face interviews, the data were collected and extracted using a structured extraction sheet from mothers' charts. Gestational age was calculated either by using the last menstrual period or Ballard maturity examination. Binary logistic regression was applied to control confounders. Results: Among mothers (n=258) enrolled in this study data on preterm birth was revealed 28.4%, in which the average age of subjects were between 18 to 34 years. The probability. of developing preterm birth were increased among subjects with gestational diabetes mellitus and no antenatal attendance (AOR=4.65, 95% CI=1.46, 14.80) was found to have a significant statistical association with preterm birth. Conclusion: The mangnitude of preterm birth in jinka general hospital was 28.4%. Having no antenatal visit and diabetes mellitus during pregnancy were significantly associated with preterm birth. Women should be encouraged to receive antenatal care in order to mitigate preterm birth in the study area. It is essential to give attention to increase the number of pregnant women who are visiting a hospital for perinatal care, yet further investigation is needed.