ABSTRACT
Introduction. Prematurity continues to represent a problem due to the social, financial and most important, human lives impact. In 2010, 8,.2% of the total births number in Romania were premature deliveries, thus placing Romania among the high incidence countries. The aim of the study was to assess the connection between socio-economic factors and preterm deliveries in a county hospital from Romania, between 1977-2013.
Methods. Correlations have been made between data on deliveries registered in The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Hospital of Brasov, Romania, regarding births between 1977 and 2013, and the economical indexes: inflation rate, medium wage and the consumer price index. Economic data were obtained accessing the database of the National Institute of Statistics.
Results. Our study identified 3 periods of time in which the implemented laws, along with the socio-economic characteristics, had clearly impact on the number of premature deliveries. The first (1977-1992) and the last (2005-2013) period studies revealed a drop in the number of premature deliveries, correlated to a rise in the average wage. Due to the marked economic instability corresponding to 1992-2004, along with reinforcing the law that incriminates abortion, the premature deliveries number increased, along with the increase of the medium wage. Moreover, paradoxically, in the same period we witnessed the lowest number of premature deliveries in this study: 502 in 1995.
Conclusion. The well-being of the population, translated into high medium wage and controlled economic indexes, reflects on the number of premature deliveries in a specific manner, that requires future studies.
Keywords: premature birth rate, economic index, legislation.
Corresponding author:
Diana PANAIT
8 Panduri street, Sacele, Brasov, postal code 505600, Romania
Phone: 0728587447; e-mail: diana.panait@yahoo.com
