PERINATAL ASPECTS OF PRETERM BIRTH: PARALLELS BETWEEN BELARUS AND JAPAN

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the features of preterm birth and state of health of Belarusian and Japanese premature newborns. Material and methods. We have performed a comparative evaluation of the characteristics of preterm birth and condition of premature newborns born at the gestational age of 189-252 days in the maternity wards of Gomel Regional Clinical Hospital (n = 50) and Nagano Prefectural Children's Hospital (n = 50). Results. Preterm birth is observed in Belarusian women at a younger age (p = 0.02) at a higher parity of pregnancy (p = 0.004) and significantly more often begins with premature rupture of the membranes (60 % vs 32 %, p = 0.009). Japanese premature newborns have low gestational weight (50 % vs 10 %, p < 0.0001) more often than Belarusian ones, but despite the greater number of newborns born at the state of severe asphyxia, they have a higher Apgar score (Zt = -3.9, p < 0.001) and better indices of blood gas (Zt = -2.9, р = 0.004) by the fifth minute of life. The perinatal period in preterm newborns in Belarus is more often complicated by intrauterine infection (74 % vs. 8 %, p < 0.0001) and respiratory distress syndrome (88 % vs. 38 %, p < 0.0001). Conclusion. Premature births have geographical features, which is due to sociomedical and constitutional factors