Objective: To determine whether pregnant adolescents < or = 15 years of age developed more perinatal complications than older adolescents or adult women.
Study design: We conducted a study of 147 nulliparous adolescents < or = 15 years of age who initiated prenatal care at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston between January 1, 1992, and April 27, 1994. For purposes of analyses, these patients were then compared to two groups: (1) all nulliparas between the ages of 16 and 17 (n = 287) and (2) those 20-22 years old (n = 107) who delivered an infant of > or = 20 weeks' gestation and initiated care during the same interval at this same facility. Chi-square, Kruskall-Wallis or Student's t test initially was used to identify differences between groups in demographic characteristics and perinatal complications. Logistic regression analyses were then performed to determine whether observed differences in outcomes remained while controlling for potentially confounding variables.
Results: Adolescents < or = 15 years of age were more likely to develop anemia and less likely to deliver an infant who required admission to the intensive care unit. No differences were observed between groups in the prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, meconium staining, endometritis, preterm delivery, low birth weight, low Apgar score or fetal demise.
Conclusion: Adolescents < or = 15 years of age experience perinatal outcomes similar to those of older adolescents and young adult women.
PIP: A study of 147 nulliparous adolescents 15 years of age or younger who sought prenatal care at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston during 1992-94 investigated whether young adolescents were more likely to develop perinatal complications than older adolescents and adult women. 287 adolescents 16-17 years of age and 107 women 20-22 years old who delivered at the same facility during the study period were used for the comparison. Younger adolescents were significantly more likely to develop anemia and less likely to deliver an infant who required admission to the intensive care unit than their older counterparts. There were no differences between the three groups, however, in terms of the prevalence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, meconium staining, endometritis, preterm delivery, low birth weight, low Apgar score, or fetal death. This study suggests that young age is not an independent risk factor for most perinatal complications.