Preterm Birth at Siriraj Hospital: A 9-Year Period Review (2002-2010)

Objective: To determine the preterm birth rate, neonatal birth weight and causes of early neonatal death at Siriraj Hospital over a 9-year period (2002-2010). Methods: The medical records of preterm birth, threatened preterm labor and neonatal birth weight at Siriraj Hospital from 2002 to 2010 were retrospectively collected and reviewed. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 13. Results: During a 9-year period, 2002-2010, the birth rate decreased steadily from 2002 to 2006, but increased suddenly from 2007 to 2010. The rate of preterm birth was increased steadily from 2004 to 2010 (9.44%-13.70%). The rate of threatened preterm labor was constantly between 6.0 and 8.9%. Among preterm births, low birth weight infants were mostly found except in the year 2003. Early neonatal death was mostly caused from fetal abnormality. The trend of neonatal death from prematurity had continuously declined and there was no early neonatal death from 2008 to 2010. Conclusion: Regarding this 9-year review, the preterm birth rate increased from 2007 to 2010 while premature babies mostly survived