PREVALENCE AND PREDISPOSING FACTORS OF PRE-TERM BIRTH AT JARAMOGI OGINGA ODINGA TEACHING AND REFFERAL HOSPITAL IN KISUMU COUNTY

Abstract

ix ABSTRACT Any delivery that occurs before the mother's last regular menstrual cycle, or thirty-seven (37) weeks of gestation, is considered preterm. It contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of children. Extremely preterm, early preterm and late preterm deliveries are the three categories into which the condition falls. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, 10.6% of all live births worldwide occurred before full term as of 2018. Nationally Kenyan preterm delivery accounts for 35 percent of neonatal deaths and is the main cause of neonatal mortality. However, there is lack of reliable information at the County level regarding the prevalence and risk factors for preterm births. The present study was carried out at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), which is situated in Kisumu County along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway. This study set out to determine the antenatal profile of mothers who had preterm deliveries at JOOTRH, as well as the gestational age at birth of preterm deliveries and their reasons, and the prevalence and risk factors for preterm births. This research applied a cross-sectional study design with a retrospective hospital-based assessment of records to investigate the prevalence and predisposing factors of preterm births at JOOTRH. The target population was mothers to preterm babies delivered between 1st of January 2023 and 30th of June 2023. Systematic random sampling technique was applied with a sample size of 134 participants. Data was analyzed inferentially and descriptively using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 21) and presented in the form of prose, pie charts, bar graphs and tables. Findings revealed that the prevalence of preterm births at JOOTRH was 21.28%. The salient demographic characteristics were that lower parity is more prevalent, maternal ages ranged from 14-41 with a median of 24.5 and a majority of the women attained secondary school education. The late preterm subclassification was the most common. The most significant determinants were multiple gestation and parity. The gestation age at delivery determined the birth outcomes. The study found that the prevalence of preterm births at JOOTRH is disproportionately higher than the country and regional averages. The data offers insights into the patterns of preterm birth prevalence and predisposing factors at JOOTRH, which could support the institute's strategic efforts aimed at lowering the number of premature deaths.