Comprehensive antenatal care and education of young adolescents: beneficial effects on pregnancy and outcome.
Fifty-five consecutive adolescents, aged sixteen years or under at delivery, were cared for at a special antenatal clinic by one nurse and doctor and educated about pregnancy, health and reproduction. A philosophy of self-care and respect was engendered in these adolescents by the nurse and doctor. The effects of such care on the pregnancy and outcome were compared with a group of 55 consecutive patients (of similar age and background) cared for by the general clinic immediately prior to the introduction of the special care clinic. Urinary tract infection, anaemia, premature labour, fetal distress, operative delivery, primary postpartum haemorrhage, low birth weight infants, infant admission rate to neonatal unit and artificial feeding, were all significantly less common in the special clinic patients who also rarely missed outpatient appointments.
Clark
A M
AM
Thomson
H D
HD
Mantell
C D
CD
Hutton
J D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009520:New Zealand; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards