Adolescent pregnancy: a high risk group

In a retrospective study the obstetric behaviour and outcome in 80 teenage pregnancies (< or = 19 years of age) were compared to a control group (n = 80) of women (20-30 years) of same parity. There were 32 booked cases (40%) in study group and 45 (56.2%) in control group (p < 0.05). The overall teenage pregnancy was 3.2%. Majority of patients were 18 years (27.5%) and 19 years (65.0%) in study group and most of them (87.5%) were primiparas. Of all cases 27.5% were grouped under Kuppuswamy classification III in assessing socio-economic status. Anaemia (27.5%), intra-uterine growth retardation (27.5%) and hypertension (15%) were mostly found as complications in study group as compared to controls (11.2%, 8.7% and 8.7% respectively). The incidence of forceps delivery was higher (17.4%) in the study group as compared to controls (6.2%). Stillbirth rate was 1.25% and there was no maternal mortality.