[Prematurity and intrauterine hypotrophy in the light of selected medical and socioeconomic factors among children's population in Szczecin].

During the period of two-year-long studies (15.03.1985-14.03.1987) as many as 11.2% of newborn infants were born in Szczecin with low body mass. The studies covered 498 out of 659 infants born, at that period, with low body mass at two Clinics of Obstetrics--Institute of Gynaecology and Obstetrics--PMA in Szczecin. Of 498 studied infants born with low body mass: 327 (65.7%) were born prematurely, therein 65 (13.1%) prematurely with a feature of intra-uterine hypotrophy, and 171 (34.3%) were delivered with hypotrophy at term or delayed deliveries. For determining the incidence rate of symmetric and asymmetric forms of hypotrophy 94 infants born with body mass 2500 g, and meeting the criteria of this syndrome, were added to the group of 171 infants with hypotrophy, who were born at term or post-term with low body mass. On the basis of the weight index (WI) in 53 (20%) out of 265 children with hypotrophy born at term or post-term the established diagnosis revealed symmetric form of hypotrophy, while in 212 (80%) asymmetric one of this syndrome. The control group was made up of 337 eutrophic infants, delivered at term and selected in a lottery-target manner. In order to define the causes of prematurity and intra-uterine hypotrophy the mothers of the studied infants were subjected to retrospective studies by questionnaires. The results provided by the studies were elaborated by using electronic computing technique. In the majority of cases it was disclosed that there was a multifunctional base for the low body mass, whereas both prematurity and hypotrophy were essentially associated with cigarette smoking, the work done by mothers under conditions being harmful to their health, elementary education of the parents and little body mass increase during pregnancy. Besides the share of the mentioned factors, prematurity prevalently occurred in women, who experienced miscarriages, immature and premature deliveries, as well as in women with body mass deficit. However, the intra-uterine hypotrophy involved evidently more frequently women with arterial hypertension during the pregnancy, previously bearing children with intra-uterine hypotrophy, and whose physical conditions were unfavourable.