title: [Cross-sectional study to evaluate the development and risk factors in premature children].
abstract: Prematurity represents an important medical problem due to the increased incidence and complex treatment measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have made a cross-sectional study to evaluate the causes and risk factors of prematurity and after-birth evolution in 652 premature children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most children had mothers of low socio-economic status (70.1%), from the countryside (70.5%), housewives (82.8%), elementary educational level (67.7%). The age of pregnancy at the beginning of the observation was significantly different in the urban environment in comparison with the rural (p < 0.05). Emergency life support at birth was needed for 63.2% of the premature newborns and hospitalization in Intensive Care for respiratory distress for 77.6%. Intense icterus required phototherapy in 92% of preterm newborns. Epidemiologic survey proved bacterial colonization in 72.6% of the infants, mostly nasal (24.5%). There was an increased number of bottle-fed infants (63.6%), but regardless of the feeding method, the weight increase was proper.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improvement of perinatal care allowed the increase of survival rate of premature infants, but a more serious medical surveillance is needed in order to reduce the number of preterm births.
authors.affiliation: Facultatea de Medicină, Disciplina Puericultură, Universitatea de Medicină si Farmacie "Gr.T. Popa" Iaşi.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Florescu
authors.forename: Mioara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matei
authors.forename: Genoveva
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bălănică
authors.forename: Doina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Azoicăi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*