background: although several studies have investigated the association between maternal exposure to air pollution and preterm birth, the results are inconsistent. the aim of this study was to further investigate the relation between maternal exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight (lbw) in an iranian pregnant population. materials an...

KEY FINDINGS The U.S. late preterm birth rate rose 20% from 1990 to 2006. If the late preterm rate had not risen from the 1990 level, more than 50,000 fewer infants would have been delivered late preterm in 2006. On average, more than 900 late preterm babies are born every day in the United States, or a total of one-third of 1 million infants (333,461). Increases in late preterm births are seen...

Despite current research progress, preterm birth (delivery before 37 weeks gestation) remains a significant problem in maternal-child health because of its high prevalence rate and association with severe adverse health consequences (March of Dimes, 2009; Goldenberg et al., 2000; Sibai et al., 2005; Ventura et al., 2000). Globally, an estimated 13 million babies are born preterm each year repre...

BACKGROUND Assessment of risk factors for preterm birth in a population with high incidence of preterm birth and HIV infection. METHODS Secondary analysis of data for 2,149 women included in a community based randomized placebo controlled trial for the prevention of preterm birth (APPLe trial (ISRCTN84023116) with gestational age at birth determined through ultrasound measurement in early pre...

BACKGROUND The literature shows a variable and inconsistent relationship between socioeconomic position and preterm birth. We examined risk factors for spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth, with a focus on socioeconomic position and clinical risk factors, in order to explain the observed inconsistency. METHODS We carried out a retrospective population-based cohort study of all singleton d...

OBJECTIVE To assess whether women with a history of preterm birth, independent on the presence of prelabour rupture of the membranes (PROM) and growth deviation of the newborn, are more likely to develop preeclampsia with preterm or preterm birth in a subsequent pregnancy. METHODS We conducted a population-based cohort study, based on Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1967 and 2012, in...

Procalcitonin (PCT) levels are elevated early after birth in newborn infants; however, the physiological features and reference of serum PCT concentrations have not been fully studied in preterm infants. The aims of the current study were to establish an age-specific percentile-based reference curve of serum PCT concentrations in preterm infants and determine the features. The PCT concentration...

INTRODUCTION Health professionals have great difficulties to establish the adequate and safe time to start breast feeding in preterm infants. There is a need to develop a standardized tool to help health professionals to comprehensively evaluate preterm infant readiness to transition preterm infants' feeding from gastric to oral, and encourage breast feeding practice in neonatal units. AIMS T...

BACKGROUND The identification of factors involved in the postnatal growth of preterm infants will help achieve growth similar to that of term infants. OBJECTIVES As per protocol: to compare body composition in very preterm infants at term-corrected age (TCA) with that in term infants, and to explore relationships between neonatal characteristics and body composition in preterm infants. METH...

OBJECTIVE The goal was to estimate whether maternal periodontal disease was predictive of preterm (less than 37 weeks) or very preterm (less than 32 weeks) births. METHODS A prospective study of obstetric outcomes, entitled Oral Conditions and Pregnancy (OCAP), was conducted with 1,020 pregnant women who received both an antepartum and postpartum periodontal examination. Predictive models wer...