Abstract
In Sudan, several studies have been conducted on low birth weight, a few concentrated on pre-term births per se. The objectives of this study were to describe maternal and obstetric factors predisposing to pre-term delivery, to determine the incidence of early neonatal complications, to identify causes of early neonatal deaths and to determine survival rates relative to gestational age and birth weight. A descriptive hospital-based study was conducted at Soba University Hospital, over a seven months-period, from December 2003 to June 2004. One hundred consecutively born premature infants were followed up from the moment of delivery till the end of the first week of life. Chi squared tests and p-values, using confidence intervals of 95%, were used for analysis. Eighty four mothers gave birth to 100 premature babies who were admitted to the Neonatal Unit of Soba University Hospital. Pregnancy induced hypertension (38.1%), multiple pregnancy ( 29%) and maternal infection ( 42.9%) were the main obstetric factors predisposing to premature birth. Morbidity among the pre-term birth population showed that respiratory distress syndrome was the main disease accounting for 36% and 46.2% of the deaths, respectively. Neonatal jaundice, apnoea, and neonatal infection occurred in 46%, 16% and 14% of the premature infants, respectively. However, respiratory distress syndrome and apnoea have been strongly associated with early neonatal mortality (P

Key words: Early neonatal morbidity and mortality; Prematurity; Sudan; Survival rates