Maternal and perinatal outcomes among nulliparous adolescents in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a multi‐country study

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and caesarean section among adolescents in low‐ and middle‐income countries.Design: Secondary analysis using facility‐based cross‐sectional data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Survey on Maternal and Perinatal Health.Setting: Twenty‐three countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.Population: Women admitted for delivery in 363 health facilities during 2–3 months between 2004 and 2008.Methods: We constructed multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the effect of young maternal age on risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Main outcome measures: Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes among young mothers.Results: A total of 78 646 nulliparous mothers aged ≤24 years and their singleton infants were included in the analysis. Compared with mothers aged 20–24 years, adolescents aged 16–19 years had a significantly lower risk of caesarean section (adjusted OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.71–0.79). When the analysis was restricted to caesarean section indicated for presumed cephalopelvic disproportion, the risk of caesarean section was significantly higher among mothers aged ≤15 years (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.07–1.49) than among those aged 20–24 years. Higher risks of low birthweight and preterm birth were found among adolescents aged 16–19 years (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03–1.17; aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.09–1.23, respectively) and ≤15 years (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.14–1.54; aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.35–1.80, respectively).Conclusions: Adolescent girls experiencing pregnancy at a very young age (i.e. <16 years) have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit: