Prelabour Rupture of Membranes among Pregnant Women Visiting a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Prelabour rupture of membranes is a common obstetrics problem associated with maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The exact cause is not known although various factors are found to be related to this condition. Hence, the objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of prelabour rupture of membranes among pregnant women in a tertiary care centre. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from 1 November 2021 to 30 November 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 2078/79/49). A structured proforma was filled out after taking a detailed history from each pregnant woman. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 99% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Among 700 pregnant women, the prevalence of prelabour rupture of membranes was 56 (8%) (5.36-10.64, 99% Confidence Interval). Among them, 40 (71.43%) occurred in the term, while preterm (before 37 weeks) occurred in 16 (28.57%) of all pregnancies. Previous miscarriage occurred in 15 (26.78%) followed by gestational diabetes mellitus 8 (14.28%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of prelabour rupture of membranes was found to be lower than other studies done in similar settings.