Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes of Teenage Pregnancies: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The teenage pregnancy is still preferred in different part of the world against the advice of the medical practitioners. This study aimed to describe the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of the teenage mothers and to compare these with outcomes of the adult mothers. For this purpose, 762 teenage and 756 adult mothers were followed in the eastern region of Sri Lanka for 21 months. This study found that the premature birth was the only negative perinatal outcome directly related to teenage mothers. All other negative pregnancy outcomes associated with teenage pregnancy were caused by the factors which are prevailing in higher percentages among teenagers such as low BMI and less number of parity. No differences in occurrence of small to date (IUGR), perinatal complications and lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) were observed between teenage and adult mothers. Finally, this study concludes the teenage pregnancy can be accepted for the mothers with higher BMI if the risk for premature birth is controlled.