Risk factors for premature births: a cross-sectional analysis of hospital records in a Cameroonian health facility.

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for preterm births in the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital in Cameroon, and to describe their outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study of hospital records over eight years. The incidence of prematurity was 26.5 % of admissions over a period of 7 years 7 months. After controlling for confounding factors, we identified attending antenatal care visits in a health centre (Odds ratio [OR] 6.19; 95% Confidence interval [CI] 1.15 - 33.22; p = 0.033), having a urinary tract infection (OR 39.04; 95% CI 17.19 - 88.62; p < 0.001), multiple gestation (OR 3.82; 95% CI 2.68 - 5.43; p <0.001) and congenital malformations (OR 2.78; 95% CI 1.24 - 6.22; p = 0.013) increased the odds of preterm birth. On the other hand being a student mother (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.20 - 0.98; p = 0.047), being married (OR 0.40 95% CI 0.19 - 0.84; p = 0.016) and more antenatal visits (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.15 - 0.35; p <0.001) reduced the odds of preterm birth Neonatal mortality in these preterm neonates was 36.6%, in which 69% occurred in the early neonatal period. The main causes of death were neonatal infections (27.6%), neonatal asphyxia (11.9%) and congenital malformations (10.3%). We recommend enhanced prenatal care and management of pathologies which arise during pregnancy.