Abstracts by keywords: preterm birth
According to calculations by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 10% of children worldwide and around 6% of children in Europe are born prematurely (1). Births before the 37th week of pregnancy (week of pregnancy) are defined as premature births (2). In neonatal intensive care, preterm birth is still the most common cause of neonatal and early childhood morbidity and mortality and can lead to lifelong health and psychosocial impairments (3–5). The health economic consequences associated with premature birth are also considerable (6). There are many factors that can lead to premature birth. Previous abortions and premature births, the increasing age of first-time mothers and the higher incidence of multiple pregnancies due to previous fertility treatments can cause premature births (4,7,8). Maternal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, have also been identified as a cause of premature births, although the pathophysiological connections are not yet fully understood (9,2,10,11). The early detection and treatment of bacterial vaginosis can be implemented and carried out relatively easily and therefore represents a promising possibility to prevent preterm birth and to reduce the resulting health and psychosocial consequences.