Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the study subjects.
| Characteristics | Preterm birth (n = 102) | Term birth (n = 101) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal age (year) | 32.32 (± 4.35) | 33.02 (± 3.40) | 0.237 |
| Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m2) | 21.60 (± 2.89) | 21.36 (± 2.77) | 0.657 |
| Education level | > 0.999 | ||
| High school graduation or below | 6 (13.3) | 11 (15.3) | |
| University graduates | 39 (86.7) | 61 (84.7) | |
| History of PTB | < 0.015* | ||
| No | 79 (88.8) | 94 (97.9) | |
| Yes | 10 (11.2) | 2 (2.1) | |
| WBC | 10.1 (8.8–12.9) | 8.9 (7.8–10.4) | < 0.001* |
| Cervical length | 20.8 (± 12.1) | 30.4 (± 8.5) | < 0.001* |
| GAS (weeks) | 31.8 (26.2–34.2) | 24.5 (22.1–31.0) | < 0.001* |
| CST | 0.156 | ||
| I | 46 (45.1) | 45 (44.6) | |
| II | 1 (1.0) | 4 (4.0) | |
| III | 20 (19.6) | 22 (21.8) | |
| IV-A | 7 (6.9) | 1 (1.0) | |
| IV-B | 23 (22.5) | 27 (26.7) | |
| V | 5 (4.9) | 2 (2.0) | |
| Delivery mode | 0.004* | ||
| ND | 41 (40.2) | 61 (60.4) | |
| CS | 61 (59.8) | 40 (39.6) | |
| GAB (weeks) | 34.0 (30.4–35.6) | 39.3 (38.2–39.9) | < 0.001* |
| Birth weight (g) | 1975.4 (± 780.5) | 3234.9 (± 316.8) | < 0.001* |
| APGAR score at 1 min | 6.99 (5–9) | 9.31 (9–10) | < 0.001* |
| APGAR score at 5 min | 8.29 (7–10) | 9.74 (10–10) | < 0.001* |
| NICU admission | 86 (84.3) | 13 (12.9) | < 0.001* |
Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies (percentage) and analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Continuous variables were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median (interquartile range) and were compared using the t-test or Mann–Whitney U test.
BMI body mass index, PTB preterm birth, WBC white blood cell, GAS gestational age at sampling, CST community-state type, ND normal delivery, CS cesarean section, GAB gestational age at birth, APGAR appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration, NICU neonatal intensive care unit.
*Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05.