A Scoping Review of Preterm Births in Sub-Saharan Africa: Burden, Risk Factors and Outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Preterm births (PTB) are the leading cause of neonatal deaths, the majority of which occur in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Understanding the epidemiology of prematurity is an essential step towards tackling the challenge of PTB in the sub-continent. We performed a scoping review of the burden, predictors and outcomes of PTB in SSA. We searched PubMed, Embase, and three other databases for articles published from the database inception to 10 July 2021. Studies reporting the prevalence of PTB, the associated risk factors, and/or its outcomes were eligible for inclusion in this review. Our literature search identified 4441 publications, but only 181 met the inclusion criteria. Last menstrual period (LMP) was the most commonly used method of

SUBMITTER: Mabrouk A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9518061 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature