title: Complications in adolescent pregnancy: systematic review of the literature.
abstract: Sexual activity during adolescence can lead to unwanted pregnancy, which in turn can result in serious maternal and fetal complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the complications related to adolescent pregnancy, through a systematic review using the Medical Subject Headings: "pregnancy complication" AND "adolescent" OR "pregnancy in adolescence". Only full original articles in English or Portuguese with a clearly described methodology, were included. No qualitative studies, reviews or meta-analyses, editorials, case series, or case reports were included. The sample consisted of 15 articles; in that 10 were cross-sectional and 5 were cohort studies. The overall prevalence of adolescent pregnancy was 10%, and among the Brazilian studies, the adolescent pregnancy rate was 26%. The cesarean delivery rate was lower than that reported in the general population. The main maternal and neonatal complications were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, prematurity and low birth weight, respectively. Adolescent pregnancy is related to increased frequency of neonatal and maternal complications and lower prevalence of cesarean delivery.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walter Fernandes de
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michele Baffi
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Sérgio Valério Borges
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lícia Maria Ricarte de
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Braz
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Evangelista
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors