Teenage Pregnancy: Maternal and Fetal Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Teenage pregnancy remains a public health problem as about 70,000 adolescent mothers die every year due to early childbearing. The NHFS III 2005-2006 estimates that the overall teenage pregnancies in India are 16%.In developing nations, as in India, teenage pregnancies are due to early age of marriage and tend to be welcomed by family members and society. Despite legal age for marriage of girls being 18, 47.4% of women in India were child brides. Teenage pregnancies have shown association with higher risks of prematurity, low birth weight, preeclampsia and anaemia as compared to adult pregnancies. This study aims to look into the differences in the obstetric and foetal outcomes of teenage pregnancies and adult pregnancies. Methodology: A hospital based comparison study was done in the post natal ward of a tertiary care hospital in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.100 teenage mothers and 100 adult mothers were included in the study. All were primi gravidae and received sufficient antenatal care. Study Variables were age, literacy status, age at marriage, mode of delivery,LBW,etc.Data was analysed using MS Excel and relevant statistical tests were applied. Results: Majority of adolescent mothers were in the age group of 17-19 years and their mean age was found to be 19 years. The mean age of adult mothers was 22 years.66% of teenage mothers and 58% of adult mothers had normal vaginal deliveries. The number of caesarian sections was high (38%) in adult mothers as compared to teenage mothers (25%).Anaemia,PROM,Obstructed labour was found to be higher among teenage mothers when compared to adult mothers. Low birth weight was in higher proportion(25%) in teenage group as compared to adult group(18%).The differences in outcomes were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Although teenage mothers had higher incidence of anaemia, preterm babies and low birth weight babies, the difference between cases and controls was not statistically significant. Teenage childbearing does not contribute to adverse obstetric or fetal outcomes provided sufficient antenatal care is given.