Hospital-based Perinatal Outcomes and Complications in Teenage Pregnancy in India

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a worldwide problem bearing serious social and medical implications relating to maternal and child health. A cross-sectional observational study was undertaken to compare the different sociodemographic characteristics and perinatal outcomes of teenage primigravida mothers with those of adult primigravida mothers in a tertiary-care hospital in eastern India. A sample of 350 each in cases and comparison group comprised the study subjects. Data were collected through interviews and by observations using a pretested and predesigned schedule. Results revealed that the teenage mothers had a higher proportion (27.7%) of preterm deliveries compared to 13.1% in the adult mothers and had low-birth-weight babies (38.9% vs 30.4% respectively). Stillbirth rate was also significantly higher in teenage deliveries (5.1% vs 0.9% respectively). The teenage mothers developed more adverse perinatal complications, such as preterm births, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and delivered low-birthweight babies, when compared with those of the adult primigravida mothers. Teenage pregnancy is still a rampant and important public-health problem in India with unfavourable perinatal outcomes and needs to be tackled on a priority basis.

Low Birth Weight and Prematurity in Teenage Mothers in Rural Areas of Burkina Faso

“…This maybe reflects behavioral and cultural diversity among pregnant adolescents across countries [27,28]. Higher proportions (LBW 38.9%, PTB 27.7%) were found in India [29]. We link this to the greater proportion (11%) of young teenagers (15-17 years) in this study, given that inverse relationship between maternal age and adverse fetal outcome [4,30,31].…”

Predictors of stillbirths in Bangladesh: evidence from the 2004–2014 nation-wide household surveys

“…The higher rate of stillbirths among older women may be due to increased risk of congenital anomalies associated with advanced maternal age. In contrast, hospital-based studies conducted in India [28] and Nigeria [29] reported an increased risk of stillbirths in mothers aged less than 20 years. This finding may reflect a lack of education, limited autonomy to make household decisions and poor health-seeking behaviours among teenage women, as reported in Nigeria [30] and India [31].…”

“…In contrast, hospital-based studies conducted in India [28] and Nigeria [29] reported an increased risk of stillbirths in mothers aged less than 20 years. This finding may reflect a lack of education, limited autonomy to make household decisions and poor health-seeking behaviours among teenage women, as reported in Nigeria [30] and India [31]. Nevertheless, a population-based study from Taiwan reported an increased risk of stillbirths in both older (>40 years) and younger mothers (<20 years) [32].…”

An Epidemiological Study on Socio Demographic Profile and Ante Natal Care Coverage of Mothers who Delivered their Babies in a Block Primary Health Centre in a Part of Rural India

“…60.0% mothers had their 1 st pregnancy before 20 years of age. This may result in low birth weights, still births and other peri natal complications [5,6]. Level of education of mothers, their husbands and socio economic background play a major role in attending clinics and receiving proper ante natal checkups.…”