%0 Journal Article
%T Brazilian multicenter study on prevalence of preterm birth and associated factors
%A Renato Passini
%A Ricardo P Tedesco
%A Sergio T Marba
%A Jose G Cecatti
%A Ruth Guinsburg
%A Francisco E Martinez
%A Marcelo L Nomura
%A the Brazilian Network of Studies on Reproductive and Perinatal Health
%J BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2393-10-22
%X This proposal is a multicenter cross-sectional study plus a nested case-control study, to be implemented in 27 reference obstetric centers in several regions of Brazil (North: 1; Northeast: 10; Central-west: 1; Southeast: 13; South: 2). For the cross sectional component, the participating centers should perform, during a period of six months, a prospective surveillance of all patients hospitalized to give birth, in order to identify preterm birth cases and their main causes. In the first three months of the study, an analysis of the factors associated with preterm birth will also be carried out, comparing women who have preterm birth with those who deliver at term. For the prevalence study, 37,000 births will be evaluated (at term and preterm), corresponding to approximately half the deliveries of all participating centers in 12 months. For the case-control study component, the estimated sample size is 1,055 women in each group (cases and controls). The total number of preterm births estimated to be followed in both components of the study is around 3,600. Data will be collected through a questionnaire all patients will answer after delivery. The data will then be encoded in an electronic form and sent online by internet to a central database. The data analysis will be carried out by subgroups according to gestational age at preterm birth, its probable causes, therapeutic management, and neonatal outcomes. Then, the respective rates, ratios and relative risks will be estimated for the possible predictors.These findings will provide information on preterm births in Brazil and their main social and biological risk factors, supporting health policies and the implementation of clinical trials on preterm birth prevention and treatment strategies, a condition with many physical and emotional consequences to children and their families.Preterm birth is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Classically defined as the birth that occurs before the 37th
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/10/22