Predictors of Pre-Term Births Among Women Delivering at Migori County Referral Hospital, Migori, Kenya

Introduction: Preterm birth is defined as babies born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy or fewer than 259 days since the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period. Globally, approximately 15 million children are born pre-term, and the WHO has estimated a global pre-term prevalence of between 4-16%. In 2020 it is estimated that more than one million neonates died due to complications of preterm birth and millions more survived with lifelong disabilities. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southern Asia account for 60% of pre-term birth prevalence, and most of these countries lack reliable data on the burden and predictors of pre-term birth. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of pre-term birth at Migori County Referral Hospital (MCRH) in Kenya. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in MCRH where a systematic sampling method was used to enrol 692 mothers who delivered at the hospital between April and June 2023. Hospital records were reviewed, and an online semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect maternal, fetal and institutional characteristics. The prevalence of preterm births was calculated, and binary logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of preterm births. 95% CI and P-values <0.05 were used to identify significant predictors of preterm birth. Results: The prevalence of preterm births was found to be 15.4%. Previous history of preterm births (AOR 2.5, 1.2-5.4), and syphilis in pregnancy (AOR 6.3, 1.5-2.7) were significant predictors of preterm births. Attending ANC was found to be a protective factor against preterm births by 87% (AOR = 0.13 (0.02– 0.71), p = 0.018). Conclusion: The prevalence of preterm births at MCRH was high, underscoring the significance of addressing this issue within the community. History of preterm births and syphilis were predictors of preterm births. ANC attendance was identified as a protective factor against preterm birth