Research Article Methodological Issues on Planning and Running the Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth Giuliane J. Lajos, 1 Ricardo P. Tedesco, 1 Renato Passini Jr., 1 Tabata Z. Dias, 1 Marcelo L. Nomura, 1 Patrícia M. Rehder, 1 Samira M. Haddad, 1 Maria H. Sousa, 2 Jose G. Cecatti, 1,2 and Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth Study Group 3 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, 13083-881 Campinas, SP, Brazil 2 Center for Studies in Reproductive Health of Campinas (CEMICAMP), 13083-881 Campinas, SP, Brazil 3 University of Campinas, 13083-881 Campinas, SP, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Giuliane J. Lajos; giuliane@unicamp.br Received 2 September 2014; Accepted 8 January 2015 Academic Editor: Emmanouil Karteris Copyright © 2015 Giuliane J. Lajos et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Objectives. Assuming that the occurrence of preterm births and their maternal and neonatal associated conditions in Brazil are not completely known, a multicenter study was proposed. Te purpose of this paper is to describe the methods used, its processes, achievements, and challenges. Study Design. A multicenter cross-sectional study on preterm births in Brazilian facilities plus a nested case-control study to assess their associated factors. A description of all steps of planning and implementing such a nationwide study, including strategies for dealing with problems arising during the process, is presented. Results. 20 referral hospitals in diferent regions of Brazil participated in the study. A detailed questionnaire for data collection, an electronic platform for data transcription and monitoring, research materials, and specifc monitoring tools were developed; then data management and analyses were performed. Finally, we got information on 4,150 preterm births and 1,146 term births. Conclusions. Tis study represented the frst step of a planned comprehensive assessment of preterm birth in Brazil, with detailed information that will lead to several analyses and further studies, bringing the knowledge to improve screening, diagnosis, and treatment practices in maternal and perinatal health with the fnal purpose of reducing the burden of this condition in the country. 1. Introduction Preterm birth currently is a major cause of neonatal mor- bidity and mortality worldwide. Classically defned as the birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy [1], prematurity is the leading cause of newborn deaths and now the second leading cause of death afer pneumonia in children under the age of 5 [2]. It is estimated that 15 million babies are born too soon every year and over 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth [3]. Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and vision and hearing problems [4]. Preterm birth is a syndrome with a variety of causes, which can be classifed in spontaneous preterm birth (sponta- neous onset of labor or following prelabor premature rupture of membranes, pPROM) and provider-initiated preterm birth (defned as induction of labor or elective caesarean birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation for maternal or fetal indications, both “urgent” and “discretionary,” or other nonmedical reasons) [5]. Preterm births are spontaneous in approximately 75% of the cases [6] and its etiology is probably a multifactorial process, resulting from the interplay of factors causing the uterus to change from quiescence to active contractions and to birth before term. Te precursors to spontaneous preterm birth vary by gestational age [7] and social and environmental factors, but the cause of spontaneous preterm labor remains unidentifed in up to half of all cases [8]. Maternal history of preterm birth is a strong risk factor and most likely is driven by the interaction of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk factors [9]. Many other maternal factors have been associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth, including young Hindawi Publishing Corporation e Scientific World Journal Volume 2015, Article ID 719104, 10 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/719104