Maternal and neonatal complications in mothers aged under 18 years

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal and neonatal complications in mothers delivering babies when aged younger than 18 years. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all labors attended during a one-year period at Alzahra Referral Hospital were evaluated for level of risk. We recorded maternal risk factors, including age, type of delivery, health status, and other factors including marital status and familial marriage. Neonates were evaluated according to prematurity, birth weight, and general health status. RESULTS: There were 186 mothers under the age of 18 years, comprising 2.6% of all deliveries at our institution. We divided them in two groups according to age, ie, Group 1 (under 15 years) and Group 2 (15–18 years). Rates of normal vaginal delivery and cesarean section were 83% and 17%, respectively. The prevalence of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in Group 1 was twice that in Group 2. Rates of still birth, prematurity, low birth weight and very low birth weight were higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (9.09%, 18.1%, 16.7%, and 4.5% versus 4.6%, 13.9%, 13.6%, and 1.9%, respectively). The rate of familial marriage was 18%, and 16% of the offspring of these marriages were complicated by congenital malformations and still birth. These complications were twice as common in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (11% versus 5%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Maternal age under 18 years is a risk factor for complications in both mothers and neonates, and even more so in mothers aged younger than 15 years.