Fetal factors associated with prematurity

Factores fetales asociados a prematuridad

Objective: to identify fetal factors associated with prematurity in the Vicente Corral Hospital of Cuenca-Ecuador in the 2016-2017 period. Materials and methods: a case-control study was designed, with double contrasts, using two controls of equal postnatal age and sex per each case. From a homogeneous population of infants less than one week of age born at the Vicente Corral Hospital in Cuenca-Ecuador in the period 2016-2017, a sample of 160 cases and 320 controls was obtained. A descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed, to establish the statistical association, OR, 95% CI and statistical significance with p-value <0,05 were used. Results: in the case group, they were 75,0% late premature and in the control group, they were 62,5% born full term. The prematurity was associated with: twinning OR=7,36; 95% CI=2,61-20,74; p=0,000. History of premature bother OR=2,96; 95% CI=1,61-5,44; p=0,000. Birth weight lower than the 10th percentile OR=1,66; 95% CI=1,01-2,75; p=0,048. The factors that were not associated with prematurity were: sex χ²=0,100; p-value=0,752. Major congenital malformations OR=2,02; 95% CI=0,40-10,12; p=0,405. Conclusions: In the present study, late preterm predominated in the case group and full term born in the control group. Fetal factors truly associated with prematurity were: twinness, the history of preterm born sibling and birth weight less than the 10th percentile; neonate sex and major congenital malformations were not associated with prematurity.