Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Adolescent Pregnancy in Vietnam

Adolescent pregnancy is a global concern worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescent pregnancy, also known as teenage pregnancy, is defined as pregnancy in girls between the ages of 10 and 19, with those aged 10 to 15 years termed younger adolescents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcomes of adolescent pregnancy.

This descriptive cross-sectional study included 333 singleton pregnancies aged under 19 years at the time of delivery, and delivering at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from January 2022 to December 2022. The maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected.

The rate of at least one maternal or neonatal adverse outcomes was 84.7%. There were 26.4% anemia, 18.9% preterm birth, 1.8% pre-eclampsia, 2.4% gestational diabetes mellitus, 30.9% urinary tract infection, 41.4% cesarean delivery and 21.0% neonatal low birth weight. Comparable to older adolescents (aged 16-19 years), younger (aged under 16 years) were at higher risk for complications regarding maternal anemia (43.8 vs. 24.6%, p < 0.05), threatened abortion (15.6 vs. 5.0%, p < 0.05), and urinary tract infection (50.0 vs. 28.9%, p < 0.05).

Almost adolescent pregnancies have at least one maternal or neonatal adverse outcome. In which, anemia, preterm birth, and neonatal low birth weight are of concern. Thus, it is prior to provide various modalities and improve the antenatal quality to reduce pregnant complication for adolescents.