[Association of pregnancy in adolescence and prematurity]

To analyze the association of pregnancy in adolescence and prematurity.

The study included all the patients who delivered at a teaching hospital in Maranhão State, from July to December 2006. The patients were divided into two groups: adolescents (10 to 19 years old) and adults (20 to 34 years old). The variables studied were: educational level, marital status, number of prenatal visits, gestational age at the onset of prenatal care, duration of gestation, delivery route and birth weight. Statistical analysis was performed using the Epi-Info software, version 3.4.1, and the associations between variables were analyzed by the odds ratio (OR), with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Models of logistic regression were also used. The level of significance adopted was 0.05.

The study evaluated 1,978 patients. The frequency of deliveries in adolescents was 25.4%. This group presented low educational level, no mates, low number of prenatal visits, late onset of prenatal care, low birth weight and prematurity. In the analysis of prematurity as the outcome variable, there was a clear association with low number of prenatal visits (OR 3.0; 95%CI 2.2-4.0) and late onset of prenatal care (OR 1.9; 95%CI 1.3-2.6) and low educational level (OR 1.9; 95%CI 1.4-2.5) related to adolescence (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.1-1.9). The incidence of caesarean delivery was significantly lower among adolescents (33.3%) than among adults (49.4%), with a lower association with pre-eclampsia and cephalo-pelvic disproportion.

Pregnancy in adolescence was associated with late onset of prenatal care and low number of visits, as well as low educational level, low birth weight, prematurity and a lower incidence of cephalo-pelvic disproportion and pre-eclampsia.