Hospital-Based Study of Maternal, Perinatal and Neonatal Outcomes in Adolescent Pregnancy Compared to Adult Women Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy, defined as a pregnancy in girls aged 10 to 19 years. Adolescent mothers are at high risk for maternal and neonatal complications. AIM: To compare maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes in adolescents and adult women aged 20-24 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all singleton pregnancies during a three-year period (January 2016-December 2018) who gave birth in a Clinical Hospital in Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia. After exclusion criteria, a total of 932 cases were reviewed and divided into two groups: one of the teenage mothers (< 19 years old) (115 women) and the other of adult mothers (20-24 years old) (817 women). RESULTS: Of the total number of 5643 births, 128 (2.27%) were from adolescent pregnancies. Of them, nulliparous adolescent women were 115 (2.04%). Adolescents compare to adult mothers had a higher rate of urinary tract infections (33% vs. 22%), increased rate of maternal anemia (26% vs. 15%), preterm birth, small for gestational age newborns (25.2% vs. 17.1%), lower high school attendance (0 vs. 21.9%) and inadequate prenatal care. Spontaneous labour was more common in adolescents (73% vs 63.5%), while Caesarean sections were less common than in women aged 20-24 years (25.2% vs 33.5%). The rate of other perinatal outcomes was not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that the frequencies of some maternal, perinatal and neonatal complications were considerably higher in adolescent mothers.