Maternal Serum Magnesium Status and Preterm Birth: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study in Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Maternal magnesium deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of spontaneous preterm birth through its effects on myometrial contractility, placental function, and inflammatory pathways. However, evidence from northwestern Nigeria remains limited. This study compared maternal serum magnesium concentrations between women with preterm and term deliveries and evaluated the association and diagnostic performance of serum magnesium for identifying preterm birth.  Methods: A hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 pregnant women (60 preterm and 60 term deliveries) at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Maternal serum magnesium concentrations were measured using the xylidyl blue colorimetric method. Group differences were compared using the independent-samples t-test and chi-square test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive performance of serum magnesium for preterm birth.