Abstract
The study evaluated the influence of maternal age on the low birth weight (LBW), prematurity and deaths of newborns (NB). Was a descriptive, exploratory, retrospective and comparative study realized in Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a university hospital in Brazil, with seven hundred six NB admitted in the NICU in the period of five years. The results showed high rate of childbirths of teenage mothers (27%). Among teenage mothers (193), 80% of their NB had low birth weight, and 84% were premature; and among adult mothers (513), 69% had low birth weight, and 77% were premature. During the study, 102 NB have died (mortality rate of 14.5%). The analysis of the relative risk (RR) of indicators – LBW (RR=1.75, CI95%=1.17-2.62, p < 0.006), prematurity (RR=1.60, CI95%=1.03-2.50, p < 0.03) – evidenced a higher probability of death for the NB from teenage mothers, with birth weight <2500 gramsor premature, than NB from adult mothers. In conclusion the outcome showed that the number of deaths during the neonatal period was not related to maternal age, but the prematurity and the low birth weight was.
Highlights
Adolescence according to World HealthOrganization covers the life period between 10 and 19 years, and during this period, intense changes take place, mainly characterized by a rapid growth, appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, awareness of sexuality, organization of personality, environmental adaptation, and social integration (Martins, Pontes, Filho, & Ribeiro, 2014)
The goal of this research was to evaluate the influence of teenage pregnancy on the occurrence of low birth weight, prematurity and death among newborns admitted in Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
A total of 1030 NB was registered in the NICU of the hospital of which 324 NB (32%) were excluded from the study, 304 due to the lack of data in the records, and 16 NB, by being twins
Summary
Adolescence according to World HealthOrganization covers the life period between 10 and 19 years, and during this period, intense changes take place, mainly characterized by a rapid growth, appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, awareness of sexuality, organization of personality, environmental adaptation, and social integration (Martins, Pontes, Filho, & Ribeiro, 2014). The sexual initiation frequently happens in this period, which has been cause of concern, whether by the possibility of unwanted pregnancies, or by the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (Kirby, 2001). In recent years the proportion of teenage pregnancy has become higher than of adult women of childbearing age. This is not exclusive of Brazil, but observed in other countries There are differences between countries and regions within the same country, determined by the developing level which is in turn results from economic conditions, culture differences, and access to health services and contraceptive methods
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