BIRTH PROFILE AND FACTORS RELATED TO PREMATURITY

Abstract

Introduction: Prematurity, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation, is among the leading causes of neonatal mortality and generates significant socioeconomic impacts, particularly in environments most exposed to preterm births. Objective: To identify risk factors associated with prematurity in a teaching hospital in the city of Montes Claros. Methodology: This is a quantitative study using a descriptive method to identify factors related to prematurity. The sample consisted of medical records of pregnant women, postpartum women, and newborns, containing progress notes and observations from the multidisciplinary team. Data were collected exclusively from hospital records, focusing on the mother-baby dyad. The information extracted from the medical records was analyzed to identify patterns and characteristics of the data. The SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software was used for the statistical analysis of numerical and descriptive data. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under opinion number 7,828,785. Results: 90 medical records of mother-child pairs of premature newborns were evaluated. Maternal age ranged from 15 to 43 years, with a mean of 29.57 years. Multiparous, brown/black, and married women predominated. Hypertensive syndromes of pregnancy were frequent, with gestational hypertension in 28.9% and pre-eclampsia in 23.3%. The mean gestational age at birth was 32 weeks and 5 days, and the mean birth weight was 1,813 g. Most deliveries were cesarean sections (56.7%), with 68.9% indicated by a doctor. Among newborns, complications such as respiratory distress syndrome (76.7%), sepsis (65.6%), and jaundice with phototherapy (73.3%) stood out. Hospital outcomes showed discharge in 85.6% of cases and death in 6.7%. Conclusion: the findings highlight that prematurity is a multifactorial phenomenon, related to maternal, gestational, and neonatal factors. Hypertensive syndromes, the need for induced labor, and the occurrence of neonatal complications stand out as critical elements for the prevention of preterm birth. The study reinforces the importance of qualified prenatal care, specialized neonatal assistance, and early management of risk factors to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity.