ETIOLOGIC CLASSIFICATION OF PREMATURE DEL IVERIES AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR PREVENTION

A retrospective analysis of 202 premature deliveries before 37 weeks w as performed to identify major pathologies related to preterm delivery . The most frequent pathologies were premature rupture of membranes (3 2.4%), premature labour without recognisable aetiology (19.1%), hypert ensive diseases in pregnancy (15.6%), multiple pregnancies (14.4%), ma lformations (9.8%) and bleeding in the 3rd trimester (6.4%). The major ity of premature deliveries are related to 4 major pathogenetic distur bances: infection, problems of placentation, pathology of the foetus, pathology of the uterus. Each of these pathologies can lead to prematu re delivery via premature labour, premature rupture of membranes or te rmination of pregnancy for foetal or maternal pathology In one third o f premature labour, in another preterm premature rupture of membranes with labour after a variable latent period led to delivery, and in the remaining third, delivery was performed by a primary caesarean sectio n or induction of labour for foetal or maternal pathology. Less than 2 5% cases were considered as failures of tocolytic treatment. Tocolytic s, steroids or antibiotics, may help to improve the survival-rate in p articular with very low birth-weight infants at less than 30 weeks ges tation. A decrease in the overall rate of prematurity can be achieved only by a general improvemet of the socio-economic working and living conditions of the female population, in particular of pregnant women.