Reorientation of the Austrian parent-child preventive care programme. Part V: Preterm birth

Project team: Veronika Häussler
Duration: March 2011 - December 2011

Contracting authority: BMG (Austrian Ministry of Health)
Language: German
Publication: HTA-Project report No. 50: https://eprints.aihta.at/939  

Background:
In the preceding reports of the parent-child screening / prevention project, we identified preterm births manifold as a highly relevant health-theme. In part I we pointed out differences in the definition of preterm births and subsequent differences in figures (depending on the definition and / or data source). We also stated that Austria is “front-runner” in the prevalence of preterm births in Europe (with 11% according to gestational age). We identified preterm deliveries, including causes and consequences, as an independent category of most common and potentially lethal health threats when ranking health-risks for frequency of occurrence and severity of health consequences in part IV. Referring to the four major risk groups for an overall increased risk of disease, we also identified and named “pregnant women expecting multiples or preterm infants” as individual risk group.

Aim:
to identify primary and secondary preventive as well as screening measures that might be able to decrease  preterm birth (direct- or indirectly)
Research questions
 • Are primary preventive measures to decrease the preterm birth risk for all pregnant women in comparison with routine preventive care effective in decreasing preterm birth, infant and maternal mortality and infant morbidity and safe (complications due to intervention for mother or child)?
 • Are screening measures for identifying pregnant women with an increased risk for preterm birth in comparison with routine preventive care without screening effective in decreasing preterm birth, infant and maternal mortality and infant morbidity and safe (complications due to intervention for mother or child)?
 •  Are secondary preventive measures to decrease the preterm births for pregnant women with an increased risk fo preterm birth in comparison with routine preventive care effective in decreasing preterm birth, reducing infant and maternal mortality and infant morbidity and safe (complications due to intervention for mother or child)?
Methods
Systematic literature search supplemented by hand-search for sytematic reviews/ metaanalyses