[Focus on risk in adolescent pregnancy]

Results from the application of risk approach for the analysis of early maternity are reported. This analysis is made from the available medical records. Based on data obtained from the Registry of Deliveries of the Obstetric ward of "Madariaga de Posadas" hospital, Misiones, Argentina, a cross-sectional study of analytical observation was conducted. All records regarding deliveries occurring during the first semester of 1991, i,e, 507 cases were considered for the study and 3 characteristics were chosen: age, parity, and complications due to an inadequate prenatal monitoring. The first two characteristics, in combination, were used as an indicator of risk level and the third was crossed in a contingency table. The most significant findings were that 20% of 2 513 deliveries cared for within the aforementioned period of time corresponded to early maternity. Average age of the adolescents was 17 years ranging from 12-19 and standard deviation 1.5 years, modal parity was placed in the rank of 0. Of 507 deliveries at risk, 69 were considered high risk deliveries because of the age and 305 because of parity. Overall, 61 deliveries presented with complications due to inadequeate prenatal care. In general, it is concluded that the technique and the data source used are quite useful to quantitate the occurrence of early maternity and to design strategies for nursing intervention in the community. These women who receive medical care in the public hospital come from popular sectors and represent a well defined risk group requiring specific preventive medical care for the reproductive process as a whole.