Pregnancy in adolescents. A case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate pregnancy outcome and incidence of pregnancy-related disorders in the adolescent.


METHODS
a matched control retrospective study.


METHODS
pregnant adolescents aged 14 to 19 years admitted to the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology--Policlinico Umberto I, between the years 1984 and 1993; a comparable number of pregnancies aged 20 to 24 years was considered as a control group.


RESULTS
In the 10 yrs. period a total of 304 pregnancies in adolescents were considered. Preterm deliveries were 9.5% in the adolescent group vs 5.9% in control (P > 0.05). A higher incidence was found in number of cesarean section (P < 0.001), spontaneous abortion (P = 0.003), intrauterine growth retardation (P = 0.04) and fetal distress (P = 0.04) in the adolescent group vs matched controls. Also mean birth weight was significantly lower in the adolescent group when compared with normal group (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
we found a higher incidence of obstetric complications, such as IUGR, acute fetal distress in labor and lower birth weight, in the adolescent group, resulting in a higher number of cesarean sections. We hypothesise that the relative state of "hypoarterialisation" characteristic of the adolescent uterus may be involved in the afore-mentioned complications.
Unfer
V
V
2nd Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University La Sapienza, Policlinico Umberto I, Roma, Italy.
Piazze Garnica
J
J
Di Benedetto
M R
MR
Costabile
L
L
Gallo
G
G
Anceschi
M M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D012189:Retrospective Studies