ABSTRACT
Prelerm labor remains a major obstetric problem because of the high incidence of neonatal mortality or long term handicapped associated with it. Analyzing preterm labor can help to identify factors which lead to preterm labor and help to prevent it. To find out the incidence of preferm labor [PTL] in Almukalla MCH hospital .Yemen to find out the relation of maternal age, parity, gestational age, sex, etiological factors and mode of deliveries to preterm labor, and to assess the main maternal risk factors associated with preterm labor. It is an observational analytical retrospective study done in the period from January l[st] 2007- December 3l[st] 2007. Questionnaire was performed to document the details of labor. Data entry and analysis was done by using SPSSv11 software computer program. There were 175 patients with PTL out of 4415 deliveries in 2007, including 9 twin pregnancies and one triple pregnancy. The incidence of PTL was [4.21%]. There were only 35 mothers under the age of twenty [19.9%], between twenty one to thirty years there were 94 cases [53.7%], and between thirty one to forty five years or more, there were 46 cases [26.4%]. 58 cases were primigravidae [33.1%] and 117 multigravidae [66.9%]. Sixty one cases of these PTL had gestational age of less than 28 weeks [34.8%], between 29-32 week there were 42 cases [24%] and between 33-36 week there were 72 cases [41.2%].Caesar-ean section [CS] was done for 34 cases [19.4%], and the remaining 141 [80.6%] cases were delivered vaginally. The most common cause of CS was placenta pre via centralis. The cause of PTL was unknown in most of the cases 77 cases [44%]. Male babies were 79 [42.47%], and female babies were 107 [57.53%]131 cases [70.43%] of neoborn babies have body weight under 2 kg, and 55 case [29.57%] had body weight more than 2 kg. The rale-of preterm labor in Almukalla MCH hospital is 4.21%. The highest rate was among multigravida with the age between 21-30 years. The most common gestational age of preterm labor was 33-36 weeks. The cause of preterm labor was unknown in; 77 cases [44%]. Most of the cases were delivered vaginally except 34 [19.4%] cases who underwent CS. Placenta previa centralis is the most common cause of CS