Is adolescent pregnancy associated with adverse perinatal outcome?
BACKGROUND
The number of teenage pregnancies has increased throughout the world and these pregnancies are reported in association with a higher rate of maternal and fetal complications.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the social surroundings; the results of ante-, intrapartum surveillance and perinatal outcome in adolescent pregnancies where mothers were below the age of 18.


METHODS
Between 1st January, 1991 and 31st December, 1996 there were 13,131 births at our department. During this period, 209 newborns were born of 207 adolescent mothers. We compared the data of adolescent mothers with the data of all mothers who delivered in Hungary during the study period.


RESULTS
39 (18.6%) from 209 newborns were delivered before 37th week of gestation, and 34 (16.3%) newborns showed signs of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). The rate of primiparous adolescent mothers was 72.0%, 131 (63.3%) were primigravidae, and 136 (65.7%) received adequate prenatal care. Maternal complications (pregnancy induced hypertension, threatened preterm delivery, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia) and adverse perinatal outcome (higher rate of IUGR and perinatal mortality) were found more frequently in adolescent pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
As young maternal age is associated with an increased risk of unfavourable fetal outcome, teenage mothers need improved prenatal care and increased observation during labour. In addition, improvement of the social environment of adolescents and the prevention of teenage pregnancies should be recommended.
Orvos
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University, Szeged, Hungary.
Nyirati
I
I
Hajdú
J
J
Pál
A
A
Nyári
T
T
Kovács
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D017533:Marital Status; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence