title: Reproductive health of adolescents in Bangladesh.
abstract: The health and social effects of pregnancy in married women 13-23 years of age were studied among a population of 175,000 in rural Bangladesh. Data collected by a structured questionnaire identified pregnant women who were followed twice during pregnancy and twice postpartum. Maternal mortality for the 13-17 age group was 5.8/1000 compared to 1.8/1000 for the 18-23 year olds. Major causes of death in the younger group were obstructed labor and toxemia. The neonatal death rate was 80/1000 for the younger group and 43/1000 for the older group. The major cause of death of infants born to the younger mothers was birth injury. In infants born to older mothers, it was tetanus. Perinatal death rate was 66.4/1000. All deliveries occurred at home, and 89% of births were attended by relatives, neighbors or an untrained birth attendant. Only 13% of the women had ever used contraceptives. Use varied from 2.9% at 16 years to 24.7% at 23 years. Suggestions are made for improving maternal and child health care in rural Bangladesh.
authors.affiliation: Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Azimpur.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nessa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D003267:Contraception / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012423:Rural Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires