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Epidemiology and Incidence of Preterm Delivery

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Preterm Labor and Delivery

Part of the book series: Comprehensive Gynecology and Obstetrics ((CGO))

Abstract

Definition of premature birth is a delivery that occurs less than 37 weeks gestation. However, the initial number of gestational weeks recorded as statistics varies from region to country. In the world, about 15 million preterm infants are born every year only by knowing statistically. Premature birth is the most important cause of increasing neonatal morbidity and mortality. The cause of premature birth is two-thirds naturally occur, and one-third is caused by a medical factor. The reason for this reduction is related to the development of public health and preventive medicine as clarification of risk factors and mechanisms causing preterm birth has progressed. The risk of premature infant morbidity and mortality increases in inverse proportion to the number of gestational weeks. Premature birth is associated with 75% of perinatal death and accounts for 50% of the cause of long-term morbidity. Respiratory disorders such as respiratory distress syndrome are representative as short-term risk of preterm infants. As immaturity further increases, in premature infants, disorders of the brain nervous system and circulatory system also occur and are exposed to the risk of systemic infection. On the other hand, a risk of preterm infants over the long term, the possibility of abnormality in growth and neurological development must also be considered. This suggests that diseases of premature birth will continue to affect the medical economy over the long term.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan

    Junji Onishi M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Junji Onishi M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Junji Onishi M.D., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miyazaki, Faculty of Medicine, Miyazaki, Japan

    Hiroshi Sameshima

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Onishi, J. (2020). Epidemiology and Incidence of Preterm Delivery. In: Sameshima, H. (eds) Preterm Labor and Delivery. Comprehensive Gynecology and Obstetrics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9875-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9875-9_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-9874-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9875-9

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