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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences & Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 51464

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Prof. Dr. Kuo-Hu Chen

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1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Taipei Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Taipei 231, Taiwan
2. School of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
Interests: high-risk pregnancy; maternal-fetal medicine; minimally invasive gynecology; public health
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Dear Colleagues,

I am organizing a Special Issue, titled "Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare", in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Women's health is a major concern all over the world. During pregnancy, women may encounter complications including preterm births, spontaneous or artificial abortion, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and placental pathologies. The incidence of maternal and perinatal complications is much higher in these high-risk pregnancies when compared with those in normal pregnancies. The related maternal and child healthcare has been an important issue and remains to be explored.

This Special Issue solicits any original contributions and reviews that explore the natures of diseases and health impacts on pregnant women and their children in different countries and communities. Studies discussing the health issues mentioned above are suitable for consideration in this Special Issue. Advances or any cutting-edge research in maternal and child healthcare are especially welcomed to be published. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Prof. Dr. Kuo-Hu Chen
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

• Preterm birth
• Abortion, recurrent, spontaneous or artificial
• Gestational hypertension
• Gestational diabetes mellitus
• Pre-eclampsia
• Placenta previa
• Maternal complications during pregnancy
• Perinatal complications
• Placenta research.

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Retrospective Assessment of Thrombophilia in Pregnant Women with First and Second Trimester Pregnancy Loss

by Olivera Iordache, Diana Maria Anastasiu-Popov, Doru Mihai Anastasiu, Marius Craina, George Dahma, Geanina Sacarin, Carmen Silaghi, Cosmin Citu, Razvan Daniluc, Denisa Hinoveanu, Bogdan Feciche, Felix Bratosin and Radu Neamtu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416500 - 8 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2430

Abstract

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) affects between 1% to 5% of women of reproductive age. It is widely believed that RPL is a complex disorder that is influenced by chromosomal abnormalities, genetic mutations, uterine anatomic deformity, endocrine dysfunction, immunologic factors, infections, and the environment. Thrombotic disorders are a frequent cause of RPL, accounting for almost half of all cases; however, in the rest of the cases, the cause of RPL remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, it was planned to determine the genetic mutations involved in RPL during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2021, collecting data from 157 first trimester miscarriages and 54 s trimester pregnancies. All patients with a panel of laboratory and genetic analysis for thrombophilia were included for data analysis. It was observed that four factors were significantly more prevalent in one of the groups. Factor V Leiden (FVL) homozygosity and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) antibodies were statistically significantly more common in pregnant women who suffered first trimester pregnancy losses. On the other hand, Protein C deficiency and Glycoprotein Ia polymorphism were statistically significantly more frequent in the second trimester group. The strongest independent risk factors for first trimester pregnancy loss were FVL and prothrombin (PT) compound mutations (OR = 3.11), followed by FVL homozygous mutation (OR = 3.66), and APS antibodies (OR = 4.47). Regarding second trimester pregnancy loss risk factors, the strongest were FVL and PT compound (OR = 3.24), followed by Glycoprotein Ia polymorphism (OR = 3.61), and respectively, APS antibodies (OR = 3.85). Numerous thrombophilic risk factors for early and late pregnancy loss have been found, including several mutations that seem to occur more often either during the first or the second trimester. Even though we are aware of risk-free and efficient diagnostics for thrombophilia abnormalities, no intervention has been proved to be clearly successful after the detection of these variables. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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20 pages, 4903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Mortality in Africa: Regional Trends (2000–2017)

by Luc Onambele, Wilfrido Ortega-Leon, Sara Guillen-Aguinaga, Maria João Forjaz, Amanuel Yoseph, Laura Guillen-Aguinaga, Rosa Alas-Brun, Alberto Arnedo-Pena, Ines Aguinaga-Ontoso and Francisco Guillen-Grima

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013146 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 7201

Abstract

Background: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals state that by 2030, the global maternal mortality rate (MMR) should be lower than 70 per 100,000 live births. MMR is still one of Africa’s leading causes of death among women. The leading causes of maternal mortality in Africa are hemorrhage and eclampsia. This research aims to study regional trends in maternal mortality (MM) in Africa. Methods: We extracted data for maternal mortality rates per 100,000 births from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) databank from 2000 to 2017, 2017 being the last date available. Joinpoint regression was used to study the trends and estimate the annual percent change (APC). Results: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa over the study period by an average APC of −3.0% (95% CI −2.9; −3,2%). All regions showed significant downward trends, with the greatest decreases in the South. Only the North African region is close to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals for Maternal mortality. The remaining Sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. Conclusions: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa, especially in the South African region. The only region close to the United Nations’ target is the North African region. The remaining Sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. The West African region needs more extraordinary efforts to achieve the goals of the United Nations. Policies should ensure that all pregnant women have antenatal visits and give birth in a health facility staffed by specialized personnel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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16 pages, 2469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Pre-Pregnancy Overweightness/Obesity and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Szu-Ting Yang, Chia-Hao Liu, Sheng-Hsiang Ma, Wen-Hsun Chang, Yi-Jen Chen, Wen-Ling Lee and Peng-Hui Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9094; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159094 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3734

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic problem in women of reproductive age. Evidence suggests pregnant women with PCOS may have a higher risk of the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the relationship between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS remains uncertain. We try to clarify the relationship between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis. We used the databases obtained from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases, plus hand-searching, to examine the association between pre-pregnancy overweightness/obesity and pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS from inception to 4 February 2022. A total of 16 cohort studies, including 14 retrospective cohort studies (n = 10,496) and another two prospective cohort studies (n = 818), contributed to a total of 11,314 women for analysis. The meta-analysis showed significantly increased odds of miscarriage rate in PCOS women whose pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is above overweight (OR 1.71 [95% CI 1.38–2.11]) or obese (OR 2.00 [95% CI 1.38–2.90]) under a random effect model. The tests for subgroup difference indicated the increased risk was consistent, regardless which body mass index cut-off for overweight (24 or 25 kg/m²) or obesity (28 and 30 kg/m²) was used. With the same strategies, we found that pregnant women in the control group significantly increased live birth rate compared with those pregnant women with PCOS as well as pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity (OR 0.79 [95% CI 0.71–0.89], OR 0.78 [95% CI 0.67–0.91]). By contrast, we did not find any association between PCOS women with pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and preterm birth. Based on the aforementioned findings, the main critical factor contributing to a worse pregnancy outcome may be an early fetal loss in these PCOS women with pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity. Since PCOS women with pre-pregnancy overweightness/obesity were associated with worse pregnancy outcomes, we supposed that weight reduction before attempting pregnancy in the PCOS women with pre-pregnancy overweightness/obesity may improve the subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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11 pages, 2402 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prepregnancy Polycystic Ovary Syndrome as a Risk Factor of Subsequent Preterm Labor: A National Population-Based Cohort Study

by Mei-Lien Pan, Li-Ru Chen and Kuo-Hu Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5470; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095470 - 30 Apr 2022

Viewed by 2688

Abstract

Background: Preterm labor and the following preterm births, which account for most of the perinatal deaths, are an important issue in public health. The study aims to assess the risk of subsequent preterm labor in pregnant females who have prepregnancy polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: This study has enrolled 1,000,000 randomly sampled females retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) during 1998–2012. The study excluded prepregnancy PCOS females who were initially diagnosed at age <15 or >45, and those who had inconsistent diagnoses. Moreover, the medical records of blood hormone tests, gynecologic ultrasonography, pelvic examinations, and tocometers were verified to confirm the accuracy of both diagnoses of PCOS and preterm labor. Among the prepregnancy PCOS females who became pregnant (the case group), each was age-matched to four females without prepregnancy PCOS (the control group). Results: Pregnant females in the case group (n = 1959) had a higher incidence of preterm labor than those in the control group (n = 7836) (42.98% vs. 21.99%, p < 0.0001). Analyzed by using logistic regression, the risk of preterm labor was significantly higher in the case group compared with the control group (crude OR: 2.674; 95% CI: 2.410–2.968, p < 0.0001). After adjustment with covariates, further analysis revealed a similar trend (adjusted OR: 2.405; 95% CI: 2.158–2.680, p < 0.0001). Among 1959 PCOS females in the case group, 196 had undergone metformin treatment. Compared with females without metformin treatment (the non-metformin subgroup), the metformin users (metformin subgroup) presented a reduced risk for preterm labor (adjusted OR: 2.238; 95% CI: 1.657–3.023). The risk of subsequent preterm labor was reduced by about 10% for the metformin subgroup compared with the non-metformin subgroup. Conclusions: Prepregnancy PCOS is an independent and significant risk factor of subsequent preterm labor. Among prepregnancy PCOS females, the risk of preterm labor is lowered by about 10% in metformin users compared with non-metformin females. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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15 pages, 350 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Tocolytic Treatment for the Prevention of Preterm Birth from a Taiwanese Perspective: A Survey of Taiwanese Obstetric Specialists

by Howard Hao Lee, Chang-Ching Yeh, Szu-Ting Yang, Chia-Hao Liu, Yi-Jen Chen and Peng-Hui Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4222; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074222 - 1 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3970

Abstract

Preterm birth represents a great burden to the healthcare system, resulting in the consideration for the use of tocolytic therapy to provide a “better time” for delivery in order to buy time to accelerate fetal lung maturity, thereby minimizing prematurity-related morbidity and mortality. However, the benefits and potential side effects and risks of tocolytic treatment for preterm birth should be carefully balanced. Although many countries and societies provide guidelines or consensuses for the management for preterm birth, there is no standardized national guideline or consensus in Taiwan. As such, great heterogeneity is suspected in preterm labor management, contributing to the uncertainty of attitudes and practice patterns of obstetric specialists in Taiwan. This study attempts to understand the attitudes and practice patterns regarding tocolytic therapy in Taiwan. A paper-based survey was conducted at the 2020 Taiwan Society of Perinatology Conference on 8 December 2020, exploring how obstetric specialists would use tocolytics under nine different clinical scenarios, such as a short cervix, preterm labor, maintenance tocolysis, preterm premature rupture of membranes, etc. Three hundred ten specialists attended the conference, and 77 responded to the survey with a response rate of 24.8%. According to the survey, many of these specialists would prescribe tocolytics for less evidence-based indications, including 22% for abdominal tightness, 46% for a short cervix, 60% for maintenance tocolysis, and 89% for repeat tocolysis, with the preferred first line medication being ritodrine and nifedipine. We concluded that tocolysis is widely accepted and practiced in Taiwan. More research is needed to include Taiwan-specific economic and cultural factors as well as associated adverse effects and patients’ outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

12 pages, 681 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Perinatal Characteristics in Patients with Severe Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Nested Cohort Study

by Irene Aracil Moreno, Patrocinio Rodríguez-Benitez, Maria Ruiz-Minaya, Mireia Bernal Claverol, Virginia Ortega Abad, Concepción Hernández Martin, Pilar Pintado Recarte, Fátima Yllana, Cristina Oliver-Barrecheguren, Melchor Álvarez-Mon, Miguel A. Ortega and Juan A. De Leon-Luis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11783; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211783 - 10 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2716

Abstract

Preeclampsia is one of the most worrisome complications during pregnancy, affecting approximately 1 out of 20 women worldwide. Preeclampsia is mainly characterized by a sustained hypertension, proteinuria, also involving a significant organ dysfunction. Moreover, 25% of the cases could be classified as severe preeclampsia (SP), a serious condition that could be life-threatening for both the mother and fetus. Although there are many studies focusing on preeclampsia, less efforts have been made in SP, frequently limited to some specific situations. Thus, the present study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of risk factors, maternal characteristics, obstetric and neonatal outcomes and maternal complications in patients with severe preeclampsia versus patients without severe preeclampsia. Hence, 235 cases and 470 controls were evaluated and followed in our study. We described a set of variables related to the development of severe preeclampsia, including maternal age > 35 years (69.8%), gestational (26.8%) or chronic arterial hypertension (18.3%), obesity (22.6%), use of assisted reproduction techniques (12.3%), prior history of preeclampsia (10.2%) and chronic kidney disease (7.7%) All patients had severe hypertension (>160 mmHg) and some of them presented with additional complications, such as acute renal failure (51 cases), HELLP syndrome (22 cases), eclampsia (9 cases) and acute cerebrovascular accidents (3 cases). No case of maternal death was recorded, although the SP group had a higher cesarean section rate than the control group (60% vs. 20.9%) (p < 0.001), and there was a notably higher perinatal morbidity and mortality in these patients, who had a prematurity rate of 58.3% (p < 0.001) and 14 perinatal deaths, compared to 1 in the control group. Overall, our study recognized a series of factors related to the development of SP and related complications, which may be of great aid for improving the clinical management of this condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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11 pages, 1157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Risk of Subsequent Miscarriage in Pregnant Women with Prior Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

by Mei-Lien Pan, Li-Ru Chen and Kuo-Hu Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168253 - 4 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4589

Abstract

Objective: To assess the risk of subsequent miscarriage in pregnant women with a prior diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Using a nationwide, population-based database (Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database) during 1998–2012, the study retrieved 1,000,000 randomly-sampled insured citizens as research subjects. The women with a diagnosis of pre-pregnancy PCOS (n = 13,562) who had chromosomal anomalies, artificial abortion, inconsistent diagnoses, and who were initially diagnosed with PCOS at >45 or <15 year-old were excluded, respectively. The records of gynecologic ultrasonography and/or blood tests were checked to verify the accuracy of the diagnoses of both PCOS and miscarriage (ICD-9 CM codes). After pregnancy, every woman with prior PCOS was age-matched to four women without prior PCOS. Results: Pregnant women with prior PCOS (the case group; n = 1926) and those without prior PCOS (the control group; n = 7704) were compared. The incidence of subsequent miscarriage was much higher in the case group compared with the control group (33.80% vs. 4.09%, p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of subsequent miscarriage was significantly higher in the case group than the control group (odds ratio [OR] 11.98; 95% CI 10.34–13.87, p < 0.0001), and the result remained similar while adjusted with covariates (adjusted OR 11.97; 95% CI 10.27–13.95, p < 0.0001). In the case group, the patient who used metformin had a lower risk of subsequent miscarriage (adjusted OR 9.53; 95% CI 6.69–13.57) when compared with those who did not receive metformin treatment (adjusted OR 12.13; 95% CI 10.38–14.18). Conclusion: For pregnant women, a pre-pregnancy diagnosis of PCOS is an independent and significant risk factor for subsequent miscarriage. The risk of subsequent miscarriage is reduced by about 1/4 for the PCOS patients who undergo metformin treatment compared with those who do not. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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Review

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28 pages, 1448 KiB

Open AccessReview

Preeclampsia: Recent Advances in Predicting, Preventing, and Managing the Maternal and Fetal Life-Threatening Condition

by Kai-Jung Chang, Kok-Min Seow and Kuo-Hu Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042994 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 18554

Abstract

Preeclampsia accounts for one of the most common documented gestational complications, with a prevalence of approximately 2 to 15% of all pregnancies. Defined as gestational hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy and coexisting proteinuria or generalized edema, and certain forms of organ damage, it is life-threatening for both the mother and the fetus, in terms of increasing the rate of mortality and morbidity. Preeclamptic pregnancies are strongly associated with significantly higher medical costs. The maternal costs are related to the extra utility of the healthcare system, more resources used during hospitalization, and likely more surgical spending due to an elevated rate of cesarean deliveries. The infant costs also contribute to a large percentage of the expenses as the babies are prone to preterm deliveries and relevant or causative adverse events. Preeclampsia imposes a considerable financial burden on our societies. It is important for healthcare providers and policy-makers to recognize this phenomenon and allocate enough economic budgets and medical and social resources accordingly. The true cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying preeclampsia remain largely unexplained, which is assumed to be a two-stage process of impaired uteroplacental perfusion with or without prior defective trophoblast invasion (stage 1), followed by general endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation that lead to systemic organ damages (stage 2). Risk factors for preeclampsia including race, advanced maternal age, obesity, nulliparity, multi-fetal pregnancy, and co-existing medical disorders, can serve as warnings or markers that call for enhanced surveillance of maternal and fetal well-being. Doppler ultrasonography and biomarkers including the mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), and serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) can be used for the prediction of preeclampsia. For women perceived as high-risk individuals for developing preeclampsia, the administration of low-dose aspirin on a daily basis since early pregnancy has proven to be the most effective way to prevent preeclampsia. For preeclamptic females, relevant information, counseling, and suggestions should be provided to facilitate timely intervention or specialty referral. In pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia, closer monitoring and antepartum surveillance including the Doppler ultrasound blood flow study, biophysical profile, non-stress test, and oxytocin challenge test can be arranged. If the results are unfavorable, early intervention and aggressive therapy should be considered. Affected females should have access to higher levels of obstetric units and neonatal institutes. Before, during, and after delivery, monitoring and preparation should be intensified for affected gravidas to avoid serious complications of preeclampsia. In severe cases, delivery of the fetus and the placenta is the ultimate solution to treat preeclampsia. The current review is a summary of recent advances regarding the knowledge of preeclampsia. However, the detailed etiology, pathophysiology, and effect of preeclampsia seem complicated, and further research to address the primary etiology and pathophysiology underlying the clinical manifestations and outcomes is warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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30 pages, 1925 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Scoping Review of Preterm Births in Sub-Saharan Africa: Burden, Risk Factors and Outcomes

by Adam Mabrouk, Amina Abubakar, Ezra Kipngetich Too, Esther Chongwo and Ifedayo M. Adetifa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710537 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3951

Abstract

Preterm births (PTB) are the leading cause of neonatal deaths, the majority of which occur in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Understanding the epidemiology of prematurity is an essential step towards tackling the challenge of PTB in the sub-continent. We performed a scoping review of the burden, predictors and outcomes of PTB in SSA. We searched PubMed, Embase, and three other databases for articles published from the database inception to 10 July 2021. Studies reporting the prevalence of PTB, the associated risk factors, and/or its outcomes were eligible for inclusion in this review. Our literature search identified 4441 publications, but only 181 met the inclusion criteria. Last menstrual period (LMP) was the most commonly used method of estimating gestational age. The prevalence of PTB in SSA ranged from 3.4% to 49.4%. Several risk factors of PTB were identified in this review. The most frequently reported risk factors (i.e., reported in ≥10 studies) were previous history of PTB, underutilization of antenatal care (<4 visits), premature rupture of membrane, maternal age (≤20 or ≥35 years), inter-pregnancy interval, malaria, HIV and hypertension in pregnancy. Premature babies had high rates of hospital admissions, were at risk of poor growth and development, and were also at a high risk of morbidity and mortality. There is a high burden of PTB in SSA. The true burden of PTB is underestimated due to the widespread use of LMP, an unreliable and often inaccurate method for estimating gestational age. The associated risk factors for PTB are mostly modifiable and require an all-inclusive intervention to reduce the burden and improve outcomes in SSA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Research in Maternal and Child Healthcare)

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