European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Preterm birth is defined as a delivery occurring at less than 37 weeks of gestation. It is divided into three categories: extremely preterm (<28 weeks), very preterm (28 to <32 weeks), and moderate to late preterm (32 to <37 weeks). Similarly, preterm birth can be classified based on birth weight. Neonates weighing less than 2500 g at birth are considered low birth weight (LBW), <1500 g are considered very low birth weight (VLBW), and <1000 g are considered extremely low birth weight (ELBW). Preterm birth can also occur spontaneously or as a result of a provider's intervention (induced). Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the neonatal outcomes of spontaneous and induced/indicated preterm births that occurred less than 37 weeks of gestation. Material & Methods: Study Design: Prospective Hospital based Comparative study. Study area: Department of Pediatrics & Department of Obstetrics, Government General Hospital, Vijayawada. Study Period: 1 year.  Study population: Singleton live preterm births <37 wk of gestational age born during the study period. Ethical consideration: Institutional Ethical committee permission was taken prior to the commencement of the study. Study tools and Data collection procedure: The collected data includes A) Maternal characteristics: (i) age, (ii) parity, (iii) mode of delivery, (iv) Type of diabetes, (v) mode of control. B) Neonatal characteristics: (i) sex, (ii) gestational age, (iii) birth weight C) Physical examination was performed D) Laboratory investigations done: blood sugar, calcium and bilirubin levels, X-ray chest and abdomen, sepsis screen. Results: The mean birth weight of Spontaneous Preterm was lower than Indicated Preterm (2.036±0.3716 kg and 2.497±0.5878 kg). There was a statistically significant difference in infant birth weight between Spontaneous Preterm and Indicated Preterm. With statistical significance, the birth weight of late preterm infants was higher than that of early preterm infants. Conclusion: From our study it can be concluded that, Preterm births account for 5% of all deliveries during the study period. There were 200 (66.66%) spontaneous preterm births and 100 (33.34%) indicated preterm births among them. The mean birthweight of Spontaneous Preterm was lower than Indicated Preterm with statistically significant difference (p< 0.0001).