MULTIFACTORIAL DETERMINANTS OF PRETERM BIRTH: A REVIEW OF CURRENT RISK FACTORS AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

Karolina Alicja Krystyniak; Katarzyna Anna Kowalska; Jakub Tomasz Latos; Franciszek Szweda; Tomasz Poczwardowski; Adrianna Kaczmarek; Marcin Chwalczuk; Olivia Grygorcewicz; Marta Koneczna; Kinga Augustyniak; Natalia Smuniewska; Zofia Grodzka

doi:10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.5835

Authors

Karolina Alicja Krystyniak Norbert Barlicki Memorial Teaching Hospital No. 1 of the Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1880-7232
Katarzyna Anna Kowalska Norbert Barlicki Memorial Teaching Hospital No. 1 of the Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8444-1505
Jakub Tomasz Latos Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1262-0173
Franciszek Szweda Władysław Biegański's Regional Specialist Hospital Grudziądz, Grudziądz, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1251-1380
Tomasz Poczwardowski Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Jan Biziel University Hospital No. 2 in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2056-1073
Adrianna Kaczmarek 10th Military Research Hospital and Polyclinic, Independent Public Healthcare Centre in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6490-0483
Marcin Chwalczuk 116th Military Hospital in Opole, Opole, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1357-6788
Olivia Grygorcewicz University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0983-7661
Marta Koneczna University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7373-6539
Kinga Augustyniak Independent Public Health Care Institution in Turek, Turek, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7631-3685
Natalia Smuniewska Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2000-9260
Zofia Grodzka Independent Public Health Care Complex named after Marshal Józef Piłsudski in Płońsk (SPZZOZ), Płońsk, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0904-810X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.5835

Keywords:

Preterm Birth, Premature Delivery, Risk Factors, Maternal Smoking, Maternal Age, Birth Spacing, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Cervical Length, Cervical Insufficiency, Maternal Nutrition

Abstract

Preterm birth is one of the most serious challenges in modern perinatology, being a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns and long-term health complications. PTB affects approximately 15,000,000 children worldwide each year and accounts for approximately 11% of births globally. It is responsible for a significant proportion of perinatal morbidity and mortality, as well as long-term neurological, metabolic, and developmental complications in children. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on the risk factors for preterm birth and to organize the most important ones. Preterm birth is a phenomenon with a complex etiology, and its risk results from the interaction of biological, obstetric, and environmental factors. The identification and modification of selected factors, especially those related to the mother's lifestyle and nutritional status, is a key element of prevention and prenatal care. Based on the available data, the clinical importance of early identification of risk factors and the implementation of preventive strategies and monitoring of high-risk pregnancies has been emphasized. A better understanding of the mechanisms leading to preterm birth may contribute to reducing the incidence of this complication and improving the prognosis for newborns.

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