The Pregnancy and Childbirth Outcome of Adolescent and Young Mothers in Dezyani Hospital of Gorgan, Iran (2008)

Pregnancy in the early years of reproductive period has been considered as a high-risk pregnancy. Since different factors interfere with pregnancy and its outcome in teenagers, this study was conducted to determine the outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth in adolescents in Dezyani Hospital of Gorgan, Iran (2008). In this retrospective case-control study, we compared the pregnancy outcome of 91 primigravida teenagers (less than 19 years) with that of 89 women (19-29 years) as control group. The data collected from patients medical records are mother's age, gestational age, and fetal presentation, gestational hypertension, diabetes mellitus, the way of delivery, hemoglobin status before and after childbirth, first and fifth minute Apgar scores, neonatal anthropometric indices, mode of delivery, congenital anomalies. Data were analyzed with descriptive-analytic tests, using the SPSS.16 software. The mean age of the case and control group is 17.73±1.30 and 24.56±2.54, respectively. In admission, young mothers have significant more weight and height (p<0.05). Mean gestational age is almost the same in teenage (38.59±3.15week) and young mothers (38.09±3.0week). Neonatal anthropometric indices and first and fifth minute Apgar scores are not significantly different in two groups. Mother's age can not be the only determinant of the outcome of pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy in teenagers isnt associated with the decrease of gestational age, anthropometric indices and Apgar score, and is not related with the increase of early childbirth and maternal and neonatal mortality.