Definition
Classification of preterm birth
Preterm birth (PTB) is usually defined as delivery at any gestation before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy (United Kingdom study (5) estimated the total cost to the public sector for the care of children born prematurely up to 18 years old to be £2.95 billion annually.
Based on their decision analytical model, an intervention that could delay PTB by just 1 week would reduce these costs to £1.95 billion.As neonatal morbidity and mortality are inversely proportional to the gestational age of birth, PTB is often subclassified into:
• late preterm (34+o to 36+6 weeks)
• moderate preterm (32+o to when compared to term counterparts (13). Long-term adverse outcomes include delayed behavioural development at 6 years of age, decreased lung function at 8-9 years of age, increased hospitalization, lower exercise capacity into early adulthood, and increased risk of poor metabolic and cardiovascular health (14-16).