Comparision of obstetric outcome among teenage and non-teenage mothers from three tertiary care hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan

Objective: To compare the obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancies with that of non teenage pregnancies. Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted in three tertiary care hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan from September 2008 to November 2008. The data regarding obstetric outcome of all teenagers (13-19 years) delivering in the three hospitals was compared with that of selected non teenage women (20 to 35 years) taken as controls. Chi-square and students' t-test were applied with 0.05 as level of significance. Results: Teenage mothers were more likely to suffer from severe anaemia (8% versus 4.3%; p = 0.03) and chorioamnionitis (2.8% vs 0.8%, p = 0.01) and their infants were more likely to suffer from post maturity (4.6% vs 1.8%, P = 0.02) and meconium aspiration syndrome (6.5% vs 2.4%, p < 0.01) compared to non-teenage mothers. On the other hand they were less likely to be overweight than the non-teenagers. Teenagers had instrumental deliveries more often than non-teenagers (7.1% vs 2.2%, p < 0.01). The risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight infant, respiratory distress syndrome, foetal and perinatal death was not significantly different in the two groups. Conclusion: Teenage mothers are at a higher risk of developing severe anaemia and chorioamnionitis. They are more likely to have an instrumental delivery than non-teenagers. Post maturity and meconium aspiration syndrome are the neonatal complications seen in infants born to teenage mothers.