Preterm delivery in a tertiary maternity in Niger. A retrospective cohort study

Background A preterm birth constitutes a life-threatening obstetric emergency. Multidisciplinary management is a crucial element in the reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity. This study aim to provide a comprehensive description of the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and prognostic aspects of preterm delivery in a level III maternity hospital in Niger. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted over a 12-month period (1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021) at the Issaka Gazobi Maternity Hospital in Niamey (Niger). The study included 1,155 patients who had given birth at a gestational age between 22 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days, along with their neonates. The data were entered and analysed using Epi-Info software, version 7.2.2.6. Results The observed incidence was 14.97%. The mean age of patients was 28.32 years, with a range from 15 to 48 years. The age group most affected was that comprising individuals aged between 29 and 34, representing 24.07% of the total. The majority of patients were of low educational attainment (28.83%), lacking formal education (33.68%), married (98.53%) and unemployed (62.08%). In the majority of cases (72.03%), pregnancy was poorly monitored. The principal pathologies associated with pregnancy were malaria, urinary tract infections and anaemia, accounting for 73.94%, 18.4% and 4.59% of cases, respectively. A caesarean section was the mode of delivery in 74.20% of cases. The majority of newborns (66.42%) were classified as "medium premature." The maternal mortality rate was 0.60%, while the perinatal mortality rate was 26.83%. Conclusions The incidence of preterm delivery is a significant concern in our department. Improved prenatal monitoring and optimal management of threatened preterm delivery would contribute to a reduction in the preterm delivery rate and an improvement in perinatal prognosis.