Pregnancy outcome among adolescents and non-adolescents delivering at Kiambu Country Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Objective: To determine the pregnancy outcome among adolescents and non-adolescents.

Design: A retrospective cross sectional study.

Setting: Kiambu County Hospital, Kenya.

Subjects: Three hundred and thirty six patients who delivered at Kiambu County Hospital.

Main outcome measures: Maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality.

Results: More adolescent were single and of lower level of education than the nonadolescents with a statistical significance of 0.025 and 0.031 respectively. Anaemia occurred in 16.0% of adolescents compared to 2.4% among the non-adolescents with a statistical significance of p(<0.001). Cepholopelvic Disproportion (CPD) occurred in 8% of the adolescents vs.1.6% among the non-adolescents vs. 1.6% among the non –adolescents with a statistical significance (P<0.018). Preterm deliveries occurred in 5.6% of the adolescents compared to 0.8% with a statistical significance of 0.031. Postpartum haemorrhage occurred in 7.2% of the adolescents compared to 0.8% of the non-adolescents with a statistical significance of P<O.O1. Puerperal sepsis occurred in 7.2% of the adolescent vs 1.6% among the non-adolescents (P<0.031). The mean birthweight of the adolescents was 2.9 kgs compared to 3.1 kgs with the difference being statistically significant with a P-value of 0.015.

Conclusion: Socio-economic status was worse among the adolescents. Intra-partum complications like malpresentation, cephalopelvic disproportion and preterm deliveries were more common among the adolescents than the non-adolescents. Mean birth weight was lower for the adolescents. Post-partum complications like haemorrhage and sepsis were also more common in the group. Adolescent pregnancy is high risk and should be prevented but if it occurs, comprehensive antenatal follow-up is mandatory