Association between Chlamydia Trachomatis Cervicitis and Preterm Labor

Abstract

Preterm delivery refers to birth between the onset of viability and 37 completed week’s gestation. Preterm labor is usually defined as regular contractions accompanied by cervical changes occurring at less than 37 weeks' gestation. In about half the cases, the cause of preterm delivery is not known. However, accumulating evidence suggests that subclinical intrauterine infection with unknown etiology maybe responsible for the majority of cases. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health statistics, the incidence of prematurity in Egypt reached up to 13.6% in 1995. Preterm infants are at risk for specific diseases such as respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing entericolitis, sepsis, apnea and retinopathy. Preterm birth is the ultimate result of several different pathways that culminate in the initiation of labor before 37 weeks' gestation. It is useful to place preterm births in two broad categories- those that are obstetrically indicated and those that are spontaneous.