Disparities among adolescent pregnant trauma patients

Trauma is the leading cause of death among adolescent patients, but the characteristics and outcomes of adolescent pregnant trauma patients (aPTPs) are not well defined. This study aimed to compare aPTPs to adolescent nonpregnant trauma patients (non-PTPs), evaluating demographics, injury profiles and outcomes, with the primary outcome being any complication. We hypothesized that aPTPs would have higher complication rates compared with non-PTPs.

The 2020-2022 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was queried for female trauma patients between the ages 12 and 17 years. No patients were excluded. aPTPs were compared non-PTPs with bivariate analyses.

Of 45,908 adolescent female trauma patients, 273 (0.6%) were pregnant, with the youngest 13 years old. The median age of aPTPs was 17 compared with 15 for non-PTPs ( p <0.001). aPTPs had higher representation of Black (35.5% vs. 17.8%, p <0.001) and Hispanic patients (25.2% vs. 17.6%, p =0.002). aPTPs had higher rates of smoking (5.9% vs. 2.2%, p <0.001) and substance use (5.5% vs. 1.9%, p <0.001) compared with non-PTPs, with 40.7% aPTPs screening positive for illicit drugs on admission. aPTPs also had increased rates of gunshot wounds (16.8% vs. 5.3%, p <0.001). aPTPs more often sustained complications (4.4% vs. 1.9%, p =0.004) compared with non-PTPs. However, the cohorts had similar lengths of hospital stay, and rates of operative intervention and mortality (all p >0.05).

This national analysis highlights that aPTPs are disproportionately minorities and have higher rates of penetrating trauma, substance use and complications compared with adolescent non-PTPs. These findings emphasize the need for targeted primary prevention and intervention programs in this high-risk population. ( J Trauma Acute Care Surg . 2026;00:00-00. Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.).

Retrospective Case Control Study; Level III.