Adolescent pregnancy: a comparative study

Abstract

A population of 349 women who gave birth, in an Obstetric Clinic in Greater S. Paulo, Brazil, during the period from 01/05/86 to 31/07/86 were studied. The results show that the group of pregnant adolescents (22.2%) received inadequate prenatal assistance, as the large majority of them (70.6%) started consultations during the second trimester of their pregnancy, and had an average of two consultations. During pregnancy this group presented a lower incidence of pathological disorders leading to out-patient and hospital treatment (39.3% and 7.9%, respectively) than did the adult pregnant women (44.4% and 14.7%, respectively). With regard to the type of delivery, the adolescents underwent a larger proportion of surgical deliveries, 25.7% of forceps births and 22.9% of cesarian sections, as compared with 14.7% and 19.7%, respectively, for the adult pregnant women. A larger proportion of intra-parturition intercurrencies was registered for the pregnant adolescents (12.9%, as against 8.2% for the adult pregnant women), hemorrhagia and toxemia being the most important. During the puerperium there were complications in 15.7% of the pregnant adolescents and 11.8% of the adults post partum anemia, toxemia and puerperal infection being the commonest disorders.