title: Survey of early preterm singleton live births in Iwate Prefecture as a provincial model of the medical situation in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to survey early preterm (prior to 32 weeks' gestation) singleton live births in Iwate Prefecture as a provincial model of the medical situation in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 177 early preterm singleton live births, and 31,445 total live births (January 2005-December 2007) in Iwate Prefecture Japan were used to analyze the incidence of early preterm singleton live birth in each medical service area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of spontaneous early preterm singleton live birth did not differ between the coastal and inland medical service areas (3.35 vs 3.57 per 1000 live births). In the Morioka medical service area (radius about 40 km), the incidence of spontaneous early preterm singleton live birth in municipalities without obstetric care facilities was significantly higher than that in municipalities with obstetric care facilities (6.62 vs 2.65 per 1000 live births, P < 0.005). The incidence of early preterm singleton live birth due to pregnancy-induced hypertension in the coastal medical service areas was higher than that in the inland areas (1.67 vs 0.71 per 1000 live births, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Iwate Prefecture, Japan, the incidence of singleton preterm live birth before 32 weeks of pregnancy varies among its constituent medical service areas according to geographic factors as well as the availability of obstetric care facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Iwate, Japan. hidekazunishigori@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishigori
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanno
authors.forename: Akimune
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Tomonobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanasugi
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haba
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D050498:Live Birth; D008954:Models, Biological; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance