Socio-clinical profile and pregnancy outcomes of teenage mothers in rural blocks of Odisha

Background . Teenagers are in a critical phase of life as various physical and psychological changes occur during this period. It is the transition from childhood to adulthood. Pregnancy at this age has many adverse effects on their health and is also a major contributing factor for maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. We aimed to describe the socio-clinical profile of teenage mothers, to assess their pregnancy-related morbid conditions and to determine the association of maternal age with pregnancy outcomes. Methods . This community-based longitudinal study was conducted in rural blocks of Ganjam district, Odisha. We used a multistage random sampling method. At different Anganwadi centres, 150 pregnant teenage girls were interviewed in Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day sessions. Results . The mean (SD) age of participants was 18.51 (0.003) years. They mostly belonged to the lower-middle or middle socio-economic classes. All had registered their present pregnancy and had at least one antenatal checkup. Anaemia was present among 75.3% of subjects, 16.0% had severe anaemia, 13.3% had pre-eclampsia, 8.0% had oligohydramnios 4.0% had eclampsia, 1.3% had antepartum haemorrhage, 2.0% had abortions, and 3.3% had intrauterine deaths (IUDs). Maternal age was significantly associated with foetal death. Conclusion . Major maternal complications in teenage pregnancy included severe anaemia, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, abortions, preterm labour, and maternal death. Foetal complications included preterm birth, low birth weight, and IUD.