Contribution of Risk Factors to Extremely, Very and Moderately Preterm Births - Register-Based Analysis of 1,390,742 Singleton Births

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sar Räisänen, Kuopio University Hospital; Mika Gissler, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland; Juho Saari, University of Eastern Finland; Michael Kramer, Emory University; Seppo Heinonen, Kuopio University Hospital
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-04-05
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 Räisänen et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060660
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLoS ONE
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: e60660
• End Page: e60660
• Keywords: SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES; SMOKING; FINLAND; TRENDS; Science & Technology - Other Topics; PREGNANCY; Science & Technology; Multidisciplinary Sciences; MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES; FINNISH PERINATAL HEALTH; INFANTS; GESTATIONAL-AGE; OUTCOMES
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth, defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks gestation, is one of the most significant contributors to neonatal mortality and morbidity, with long-term adverse consequences for health, and cognitive outcome. Objective: The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of preterm birth (≤36+6 weeks gestation) among singleton births and to quantify the contribution of risk factors to socioeconomic disparities in preterm birth. Methods: A retrospective population-based case-control study using data derived from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. A total population of singleton births in Finland from 1987-2010 (n = 1,390,742) was reviewed. Results: Among all singleton births (n = 1,390,742), 4.6% (n = 63,340) were preterm (<37 weeks), of which 0.3% (n = 4,452) were classed as extremely preterm, 0.4% (n = 6,213) very preterm and 3.8% (n = 54,177) moderately preterm. Smoking alone explained up to 33% of the variation in extremely, very and moderately preterm birth incidence between high and the low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Reproductive risk factors (placental abruption, placenta previa, major congenital anomaly, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, anemia, stillbirth, small for gestational age (SGA) and fetal sex) altogether explained 7.7-25.0% of the variation in preterm birth between SES groups. Conclusions: Smoking explained about one third of the variation in preterm birth groups between SES groups whereas the contribution of reproductive risk factors including placental abruption, placenta previa, major congenital anomaly, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, anemia, stillbirth, SGA and fetal sex was up to one fourth.