BackgroundPreterm birth rate is increasing and is currently a worldwide concern. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of preterm birth in a sample of health facilities in Brazil and to identify the main risk factors associated with spontaneous preterm births.Methods and FindingsThis was a multicentre cross sectional study on preterm births in 20 referral obstetric hospitals with a case-control component to identify factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth. Surveillance was implemented at all centres to identify preterm births. For eligible consenting women, data were collected through a post-delivery questionnaire completed with information from all mother-newborn medical records until death or discharge or at a maximum of 60 days post-delivery, whichever came first. The risk of spontaneous preterm birth was estimated with OR and 95%CI for several predictors. A non-conditional logistic regression analysis was then performed to identify independently associated factors. The overall prevalence of preterm birth was 12.3%. Among them, 64.6% were spontaneous and 35.4% therapeutic. In the case-control component, 2,682 spontaneous preterm births were compared to a sample of 1,146 term births. Multivariate analyses identified the following as risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth among women with at least one previous birth: a previous preterm birth (ORadj = 3.19, 2.30–4.43), multiple pregnancy (ORadj = 29.06, 8.43–100.2), cervical insufficiency (ORadj = 2.93, 1.07–8.05), foetal malformation (ORadj = 2.63, 1.43–4.85), polyhydramnios (ORadj = 2.30, 1.17–4.54), vaginal bleeding (ORadj = 2.16, 1.50–3.11), and previous abortion (ORadj = 1.39, 1.08–1.78). High BMI (ORadj = 0.94, 0.91–0.97) and weight gain during gestation (ORadj = 0.92, 0.89–0.95) were found to be protective factors.ConclusionsThe preterm birth rate in these health facilities in Brazil is high and spontaneous preterm births account for two thirds of them. A better understanding of the factors associated with spontaneous preterm birth is of utmost importance for planning effective measures to reduce the burden of its increasing rates.

BackgroundAbout 15 million children are born under 37 weeks of gestation worldwide. Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal deaths and short/long term morbidities, entailing consequences not only for the individual, but also their family, health agencies, facilities and all community. The provider-initiated preterm birth is currently one of the most important obstetric conditions related to preterm births, particularly in middle and high income countries, thus decreasing the need for therapeutic preterm birth is essential to reduce global prematurity. Therefore detailed knowledge on the factors associated with provider-initiated preterm birth is essential for the efforts to reduce preterm birth rates and its consequences. In this current analysis we aimed to assess the proportion of provider-initiated (pi-PTB) among preterm births in Brazil and identify associated factors.Methods and FindingsThis is an analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study with a nested case-control component called Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth (EMIP). EMIP was conducted in 20 referral obstetric hospitals located in the three most populated of the five Brazilian regions. We analysed data of women with pi-PTB, defined as childbirth occurring at less than 37 weeks, medically indicated for maternal/fetal compromise or both; and women with term birth, childbirth at or after 37 weeks. Maternal, sociodemographic, obstetric, prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal characteristics were assessed as possible factors associated with pi-PTB, compared to term births. The overall prevalence of preterm births was 12.3%. Of these, approximately one-third of cases were initiated by the provider. Hypertensive disorders, placental abruption, and diabetes were the main maternal conditions leading to pi-PTB. Caesarean section was the most common mode of delivery. Chronic hypertension (OR 7.47; 95%CI 4.02–13.88), preeclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP syndrome (OR 15.35; 6.57–35.88), multiple pregnancy (OR 12.49; 4.86–32.05), and chronic diabetes (OR 5.24; 2.68–10.25) were the most significant factors independently associated with pi-PTB.Conclusionspi-PTB is responsible for about one-third of all preterm births, requiring special attention. The decision-making process relative to the choice of provider-initiated birth is complex, and many factors should be elucidated to improve strategies for its prevention, including evidence-based guidelines on proper management of the corresponding clinical conditions.

ResumoOBJETIVO: Descrever a frequência da mortalidade materna em um hospital de atendimento terciário e avaliar a sua evitabilidade. MÉTODOS: O presente estudo, mediante a análise das mortes maternas ocorridas no período de 1999 a 2010 em uma maternidade de referência de Campinas -Brasil, aborda alguns dos fatores associados, as principais causas de óbito e alguns problemas de estrutura dos serviços de saúde. É um estudo descritivo retrospectivo com avaliação de variáveis sociodemográficas, história clínica e obstétrica das mulheres, além das causas do óbito. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos óbitos maternos ocorreu por causas obstétricas diretas (45%) e evitáveis (36%), em mulheres com gestação pré-termo que tiveram o parto por cesárea (56%) e vários procedimentos de manejo, incluindo transfusão sanguínea, admissão em UTI e necessidade de laparotomia e/ou histerectomia. A transferência de outro hospital esteve associada ao predomínio de causas obstétricas diretas (19 versus 6, p=0,02) e evitáveis (22 versus 9, p=0,01). CONCLUSÃO: A mortalidade materna por causas infecciosas e hipertensivas ainda predomina. Observamos o aumento de causas clínico-cirúrgicas e neoplásicas como causa do óbito em mulheres durante o ciclo grávido puerperal. Abstract PURPOSE:To describe the prevalence of maternal mortality at a tertiary care hospital and to assessits preventability. METHODS: This study, through the analysis of maternal deaths that occurred during the period from 1999 to 2010 at a reference in Campinas -Brazil, CAISM/ UNICAMP, discusses some of the factors associated with the main causes of death and some structural problems of structure of the health services. It is a retrospective descriptive study with evaluation of sociodemographic variables and the medical and obstetric history of women, and the causes of death. RESULTS: The majority of maternal deaths occurred due to direct obstetric (45%) and avoidable (36%) causes, in women with preterm gestation, who delivered by cesarean section (56%) and received various management procedures, including blood transfusion, ICU admission and need for laparotomy and/or hysterectomy. The hospital transfer was associated with the predominance of direct obstetric (19 versus 6, p=0.02) and avoidable causes (22 versus 9, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that, despite current advances in Obstetrics, infections and hypertensive disorders are still the predominant causes of maternal mortality. We observed an increase of clinical-surgical conditions and neoplasms as causes of death among women during pregnancy.

Objectives. Assuming that the occurrence of preterm births and their maternal and neonatal associated conditions in Brazil are not completely known, a multicenter study was proposed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods used, its processes, achievements, and challenges. Study Design. A multicenter cross-sectional study on preterm births in Brazilian facilities plus a nested case-control study to assess their associated factors. A description of all steps of planning and implementing such a nationwide study, including strategies for dealing with problems arising during the process, is presented. Results. 20 referral hospitals in different regions of Brazil participated in the study. A detailed questionnaire for data collection, an electronic platform for data transcription and monitoring, research materials, and specific monitoring tools were developed; then data management and analyses were performed. Finally, we got information on 4,150 preterm births and 1,146 term births. Conclusions. This study represented the first step of a planned comprehensive assessment of preterm birth in Brazil, with detailed information that will lead to several analyses and further studies, bringing the knowledge to improve screening, diagnosis, and treatment practices in maternal and perinatal health with the final purpose of reducing the burden of this condition in the country.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence suggests that infection or inflammation is a major contributor to early spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the development and causes of maternal infection associated with maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with sPTB. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study with a nested case-control component, the Brazilian Multicentre Study on Preterm Birth (EMIP), conducted from April 2011 to July 2012 in 20 Brazilian referral obstetric hospitals. Women with preterm birth (PTB) and their neonates were enrolled. In this analysis, 2,682 women undergoing spontaneous preterm labor and premature pre-labor rupture of membranes were included. Two groups were identified based on self-reports or prenatal or hospital records: women with at least one infection factor and women without any maternal infection (vulvovaginitis, urinary tract infection, or dental infection). A bivariate analysis was performed to identify potential individual risk factors for PTB. The odds ratios (ORs) with their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: The majority of women with sPTB fulfilled at least one criterion for the identification of maternal infection (65.9%), and more than half reported having urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Approximately 9.6% of women with PTB and maternal infection were classified as having periodontal infection only. Apart from the presence of a partner, which was more common among women with infectious diseases (p=0.026; OR, 1.28 [1.03-1.59]), other variables did not show any significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Maternal infection was highly prevalent in all cases of sPTBs, although it was not clearly associated with the type of PTB, gestational age, or any adverse neonatal outcomes. CLINICS 2020;75:e1508 Maternal infection in preterm birth Tedesco RP et al.