Clinic for the Adolescent Pregnant (CARE) – 5 Years On

Abstract

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy causes both a social and also an obstetrical problem. It not only affects the pregnant mother, but also the baby. Previous studies have showed that dedicated teenage antenatal clinics improve pregnancy outcomes. The Clinic for the Adolescent Pregnant (CARE) was initiated in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore in 2008. This is a dedicated clinic aimed to improve antenatal care for pregnant teenage girls. It focusses on screening for sexually transmitted infections and postnatal contraception with an aim to prevent a second pregnancy. Methods: A descriptive review of the CARE services from 2008 to 2012 performed with a 2 year follow up subsequently for repeated subsequent pregnancies. Results: CARE has undergone huge improvements in its service provision over the past 5 years since initiation. CARE started with one clinic session every two weekly then increased to two sessions weekly to cater for a growing patient pool. The number of dedicated nurses to counsel teenage pregnant girls on awareness of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and contraception increased. More single teenage pregnant patients are referred directly from various clinics to this dedicated clinic over the years. The monthly multidisciplinary CARE case conference was introduced in 2013 with the intention of improving the ease for multi-disciplinary and holistic management of teenage pregnant mothers. Conclusion: This study describes the services provided and evaluates the growth experienced in CARE in the past 5 years. CARE will continue to provide holistic care for teenage pregnant girls to help improve pregnancy outcomes.