Adverse Reproductive Outcomes Associated With Teenage Pregnancy

INTRODUCTION: It is debated whether teenage pregnancy is associated with an adverse reproductive outcome. This study assessed the reproductive outcomes in teenage pregnancy in Nepal, a developing setting. METHODS: A hospital based retrospective cohort study of 4,101 deliveries to compare the outcomes between teenage and non-teenage pregnancies. RESULTS: Pregnancy in teenagers was associated with significantly increased risk (P<0.05) of delivery of very and moderately preterm births and Low Birth Weight babies. There was no significant difference in risk of having small for gestational age babies, low APGAR score at birth at 1 min and 5 min, stillbirth, neonatal death, and post partum hemorrhage. However, the risk of having delivery by episiotomy, vacuum or forceps and Caesarean section was significantly lower (P<0.05) among teenage mothers. CONCLUSION: Teenage women were more likely to have preterm births and low birth weight babies. However, they were less likely to have delivery by episiotomy, forceps or vacuum and Caesarean sections. In other respects, there were no significant differences between teenage and non-teenage mothers.