title: Prevalence and outcome of teenage hospital births at the Buea Health District, South West Region, Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Teenage pregnancy is a high-risk condition that requires skilled antenatal care for good outcome. World estimates in 2008 report about 16 million births to adolescent mothers, most of them occurring in low and middle-income countries. In Cameroon, about 12% of all births are to adolescent mothers. This study determines the prevalence of hospital teenage deliveries in the Buea Health District and compares the delivery outcomes and demographic characteristics between pregnant teenage mothers (14-19) and adult mothers (20-29 years). We also identify factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a retrospective study of case files of patients who gave birth in the Buea Regional Hospital during the period 2009-2012, to determine the prevalence of hospital-delivered teenage pregnancies in the BHR. We also undertook a, cross-sectional study to compare the outcomes of 148 singleton adolescent births with 360 adult births in three health facilities in the Buea Health District during the period March 1 to August 31, 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of teenage births was 13.3%. The adverse fetal outcomes imputable to adolescent births were low birth weight (<2,500 g) (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.28-6.09), preterm babies (<37 weeks) (OR: 1.85; 95% CI, 1.01-3.41), low 5 min Apgar score < 7 (OR: 1.66; 95% CI, 0.91-3.0). Adverse maternal outcomes associated with teenage pregnancies were mainly perineal tear (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.95-2.7). Teenage births were not discovered in any significant way to cause preeclampsia/eclampsia, episiotomy, premature rupture of membranes and caesarean section. Maternal factors like age and gravidity were discovered to lead to adverse fetal outcomes in adolescents, while maternal factors like age, unemployment, marital status and gravidity were, for their part, directly responsible for adverse maternal outcomes in adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teenage pregnancies are quite prevalent in the Buea Health District, and hospital delivery common. Adolescent pregnancies are more likely to lead to adverse fetal and maternal outcomes than adult pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Douala General Hospital, Box 4856, Douala, Cameroon. obinchemti@yahoo.com.|Faculty of Health Science, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea, Cameroon. obinchemti@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Thomas Obinchemti
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Egbe
authors.affiliation: District Hospital Mamfe, South West Region, Mamfe, Cameroon. hansdeus@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amadeus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omeichu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Douala General Hospital, Box 4856, Douala, Cameroon. hallegregory@yahoo.fr.|Faculty of Health Science, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea, Cameroon. hallegregory@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Gregory Edie
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Halle-Ekane
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Douala General Hospital, Box 4856, Douala, Cameroon. cnguefack2007@yahoo.fr.|Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon. cnguefack2007@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Charlotte Nguefack
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Tchente
authors.affiliation: District Hospital Poli, North Region, Poli, Cameroon. lilnkongho@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Eta-Nkongho
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Egbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert Debré Hospital, 75935 Cedex 19, Paris, France. jean-francois.oury@rdb.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Oury
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D010502:Perineum / Q000293:injuries; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult