5 Year Reveiw: Teenage Pregnancy; Delivery and Outcome

Abstract

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy and has often been reported to be associated with adverse pregnancy  outcomes, specifically low birth weight, small for gestational age neonates, prematurity, and higher rates of neonatal and infant  morbidity and mortality. This study aims to determine and compare the outcome of teenage pregnancies to other pregnancies in Jos  University Teaching Hospital over a four-year period.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the obstetric and fetal outcomes of teenage pregnancy at Jos University Teaching  Hospital.

Materials and Methods: A prospective case–control review of all teenage pregnancies seen at the Jos University Teaching Hospital between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012. The study population consists of all teenage mothers who carried their  pregnancies to at least 28 completed and delivered between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes  were compared between the two groups.

Results: During the study period, there were 9916 deliveries out of which 381 (3.6%) were by  teenage mothers, their ages ranged from 13 to 19 years. The mean age was 18.19 ± 1.05 years compared to the control of 27.10 ± 3.72  years with a range of 20–35 years, P < 0.05. The mean birth weight for the study was 2.90 ± 0.49 compared to the control 3.16 ± 1.02. There  was a statistically significant difference in the mean birth weight in the two groups, P < 0.05. Birth asphyxia was 14 (3.7%) among  the teenage deliveries as compared to 295 (4.1%) in the control group. The number of stillbirths (2 [0.3%] vs. 11 [0.15%]) was lower in the  control group.

Conclusion: This study shows that teenage mothers appear to be at increased risk of low birth weight and neonatal  morbidity.