TY - JOUR ID - TI - PRETERM BIRTHS AMONG WOMEN WITH SHORT BIRTH INTERVAL IN TWO HOSPITALS IN BAGHDAD /AL-KARKH AU - Nibras A. Hussain نبراس علاء حسين AU - Atheer J. Al-Saffar اثير جواد عبد الامير الصفار PY - 2016 VL - 14 IS - 3 SP - 200 EP - 205 JO - IRAQI JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES المجلة العراقية للعلوم الطبية SN - 16816579 22244719 AB - Background:The World Health Organization had recommended that individuals and couples should wait for at least (2-3) years between births in order to reduce the risk of adverse maternal and child health outcomes.Objective:The current study was an attempt to measure the rate of preterm births among women with interbirth intervals of less than three years. It also attempted to describe some socio-demographic characteristics of these women with short intervals.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals at Baghdad / Al-Karkh district with a total 360 women were interviewed at the delivery room using a questionnaire specially prepared for this purpose during the period from the 1st of April to the 31st of May 2009.Results:The mean interbirth interval for the sample was 20.4±6.43 months gave a rate of preterm births of 17.8% with a significant association between short intervals and high occurrence of preterm births. It was found that women with short interbirth intervals were mostly of younger age, housewives, low educated, not using contraceptives, had a female baby in the last delivery before the current one and their monthly income was 500000 Iraqi dinars or less ( about 385 USD).Conclusions:The rate of preterm births in women with short birth intervals less than three years was relatively high and significantly associated with short birth intervals.Key words:Preterm births, Short birth interval, Socio-demographic characteristics

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