Pregnancy outcomes in younger and older adolescent mothers with severe preeclampsia

Adolescent mothers are at higher risk for preeclampsia, but the effect of their age on the outcome of the pregnancy complication is not clear.

To describe maternal and neonatal outcomes among singleton adolescent pregnancies complicated with severe preeclampsia in a low-income-setting hospital and compare results according to age.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes of 213 adolescent mothers complicated with severe preeclampsia delivering at the Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital (Guayaquil, Ecuador) were analyzed and compared according to their age (16 or less years, n=82 vs 17-19 years, n=131).

Cesarean section rate was high in both studied groups; otherwise, obstetrical outcome did not differ and there were no maternal deaths or severe complications. Neonatal outcome was adverse in the two groups evidenced by high rates of preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age and low-birth-weight infants, low first-minute Apgar scores and admissions to neonatal intensive care; however, it was not significantly different between the analyzed groups. There were no neonatal deaths among mothers aged 16 or less and 4 in the group aged 17-19 years. This was, however, not significant (p=0.30).

Pregnancy outcome in this adolescent population with severe preeclampsia was similarly adverse, independent of maternal age.