The scope of this research was to analyze the gestational history and prenatal care characteristics of adolescent and adult mothers in a maternity hospital located in a city in Minas Gerais, which is a hospital of reference in the macro-region of health of Jequitinhonha. It involved a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 327 mothers were interviewed between May 2013 and March 2014 using a semi-structured questionnaire. With a sample of 255, the number of adult women was predominant. With respect to prenatal care, 324 pregnant women had medical appointments. In terms of the location for prenatal care, 79.2% of adolescents were attended in the public health service, while that percentage was 60.4% among adult women. Regarding the type of birth, 54.7% of mothers had normal delivery and 45% had cesarean section. Among adolescents, there was a higher percentage of normal delivery compared to adult women and this data had a statistically significant relationship with the age of the pregnant women. With respect to gestational age at birth, 85.9% had full-term deliveries, 13.5% had preterm delivery and 0.6% had post-term delivery. It was revealed that adolescent mothers were at a disadvantage compared to the other mothers in terms of both socioeconomic characteristics and prenatal care received.

Objetivo: descrever e comparar os aspectos sociodemográficos, a história sexual e reprodutiva e o conhecimento contraceptivo de puérperas adolescentes e adultas que tiveram seus partos numa maternidade de referência para a macrorregião de saúde. Métodos: foi realizada entrevista individual com um instrumento semiestruturado contendo questões relativas aos aspectos estudados. Resultados: a média de idade das puérperas foi de 26,74 anos. Dentre os métodos contraceptivos, a pílula foi apontada como mais conhecido. Houve associação estatisticamente significante entre o período fértil e a idade da puérpera e a renda. A mediana de idade em que as puérperas tiveram sua primeira relação sexual foi de 17 anos. A associação idade da puérpera e idade da primeira relação sexual (p