title: Contribution of risk factors to extremely, very and moderately preterm births - register-based analysis of 1,390,742 singleton births.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm birth, defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks gestation, is one of the most significant contributors to neonatal mortality and morbidity, with long-term adverse consequences for health, and cognitive outcome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors of preterm birth (≤36+6 weeks gestation) among singleton births and to quantify the contribution of risk factors to socioeconomic disparities in preterm birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective population-based case-control study using data derived from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. A total population of singleton births in Finland from 1987-2010 (n = 1,390,742) was reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all singleton births (n = 1,390,742), 4.6% (n = 63,340) were preterm (<37 weeks), of which 0.3% (n = 4,452) were classed as extremely preterm, 0.4% (n = 6,213) very preterm and 3.8% (n = 54,177) moderately preterm. Smoking alone explained up to 33% of the variation in extremely, very and moderately preterm birth incidence between high and the low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Reproductive risk factors (placental abruption, placenta previa, major congenital anomaly, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, anemia, stillbirth, small for gestational age (SGA) and fetal sex) altogether explained 7.7-25.0% of the variation in preterm birth between SES groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking explained about one third of the variation in preterm birth groups between SES groups whereas the contribution of reproductive risk factors including placental abruption, placenta previa, major congenital anomaly, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, anemia, stillbirth, SGA and fetal sex was up to one fourth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. shraisan@student.uef.fi
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Räisänen
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gissler
authors.forename: Juho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saari
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinonen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D047929:Term Birth