Comparison of the outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth in married adolescents and young women

According to the population youth regulation, the number of adolescent pregnancies increased in Iran. Considering the importance of knowing the consequences of pregnancy at this age for planning and caring for these people, the present study was conducted with aim to compare the outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth in adolescents and young women.

This desctiptive analytical study was performed in 2021 on 865 hospitalized women in postpartum care unit of two government and semi-government hospitals of Gorgan. Pregnancy outcomes were compared in two groups of adolescent (105 women aged 13-19 years) and young women (760 women aged 20-34 years). The data related to the background information was collected through the data collection form and the outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth by a researcher-made checklist through face-to-face interview, review of hospital records and accompanying documents. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 16) and Chi-square, Fisher exact test and logistic regression. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Mean gestational age was not significantly different between the two groups. Among the studied outcomes, anemia and abortion was more common in the adolescent group and the other outcomes were not different in the two groups. The chance of having iron deficiency anemia in women under 20 years old compared to women aged 20-34 years was more than 60% (OR=1.64), also the chance of abortion in women under 20 years old was almost 8 times that of women over 20 years old (OR=8.12). The chance of cesarean delivery (OR=3.31) and birth weigh less than 2500 gr (OR = 2.72) in women aged 20-34 was almost 3 times compared to women under 20 years.

Given that the teenagers in this study got pregnant under the support of family and spouse within the framework of legal marriage and had no history of substance abuse, pregnancy in this age group has no other adverse consequences other than iron deficiency anemia and abortion.