title: Prematurity and low birth weight among Brazilian adolescents and young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of preterm birth and low birth weight infants in young and older primiparous adolescents versus young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternity hospital in Vitória, ES, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 5-year period, young primiparous women who delivered a singleton liveborn infant over 22 weeks were interviewed while in the postpartum ward.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single investigator performed all the individual interviews to collect sociodemographic variables and obtained gestational age and birth weight from the patients' charts before discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were divided into 3 groups according to age: young adolescents (10-15 years), older adolescents (16-19 y) and young adults (20-24 y). The chi(2) test was used to compare the rate of preterm birth and low birth weight between the groups and analyze differences in sociodemographic characteristics between the 3 groups. P<0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1124 participants were included: 164 young adolescents, 537 older adolescents and 423 adults. The rate of preterm birth was similar in the 3 groups: 4.3%, 3.5% and 4.5%, for young adolescents, older adolescents and adults, respectively (P=0.48). The rate of low birth weight was significantly higher among young adolescents (9.7%) compared to older adolescents (6.1%) and young adults (3.5%) (P=0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of preterm birth was similar in adolescents and young adults. Adolescent mothers under 16 years of age have a significantly higher incidence of low birth weight infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória Medical School, Espirito Santo, Brazil. ricardo.cristiano@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Ricardo C L
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Eduardo P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Erica S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Antônio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chambô Filho
authors.forename: Cristina A F
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Guazzelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult