The determinants of premature birth during the year 2018 at the General Reference Hospital of Malemba in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Premature birth remains a major concern for obstetric and pediatric teams. The objective of our work is to determine the causes and frequencies of premature childbirth in our environment, more particularly at the HGR Malemba. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the HGR Malemba, who included 24 premature deliveries between 1^st January and 31^st December 2018. The hospital frequency of preterm birth was 4.6%, the average age of childbirth was 28 ± 6.7 years, married births were 75%, housewives were 45.8%, the women born were large multiparous in 41.7%, the pathologies occurring during pregnancy: urinary tract infections (75%); malaria (25%), maternal age <18 years or >35 years and urinary tract infections constitute important risk factors for preterm birth. The study we conducted shows that the rate of premature delivery remains high in the city of Malemba. The early identification of the cause allows their reduction through the improvement of the health care system in our environment.