Adolescent Pregnancy Neonatal Birth Outcomes: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent pregnancies, which directly influence adolescent health, are considered high-risk pregnancies due to poor maternal and fetal outcomes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of adolescent pregnancies, which are a global problem, on early newborn health and to raise awareness about adolescent pregnancies.
METHODS: This study was designed as a retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study. Newborns of 94 adolescent mothers aged 10–19 who gave birth between January 2021 and January 2022 were included in the study. Newborns of 106 non-adolescent (young adult) mothers aged 20–24 who gave birth during the same period were included in the control group. Anthropometric measurements, demographic data, early morbidity and mortality rates, diagnostic information, and hospitalization data of the babies in both groups were obtained retrospectively from electronic file records.
RESULTS: During the study period, 6.62% (n=94) of 1419 women who gave birth in our hospital were in the adolescent age group, and 7.47% (n=106) were in the young adult age group. Gestational weeks at birth, rates of hospitalization in the neonatal unit, Apgar scores, and mortality and morbidity rates of infants of adolescent mothers were similar to those of young adult mothers (p>0.05). The median birth weight of infants of adolescent mothers was 3060 g (645–4085), which was significantly lower than the 3210 g (688–4410) median birth weight of infants of non-adolescent mothers (p=0.003). The frequency of small for gestational age (SGA) infants born below the 10th percentile for gestational age was 14.9% in adolescent mothers, while only 3% of infants of young adult mothers were born SGA (p=0.003).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Adolescent pregnancies are considered high-risk pregnancies. In terms of maternal and neonatal health, close follow-up of adolescent pregnancies in both the early and late periods can help prevent possible complications.