Adolescent pregnancy prevalence, maternal characteristics, and perinatal outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent pregnancy is a global public health issue with significant implications for maternal and neonatal health, particularly in regions with limited access to healthcare services. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of adolescent pregnancies and perinatal outcomes at the Isidro Ayora Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital during the period 2009-2022. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on records from the Perinatal Information System. Adolescent women and their newborns were included. Multiple pregnancies and cases with incomplete data were excluded. The Chi-square test was applied, and multinomial logistic regression models were used. Ethical Approval: 009-DOC-FCM-2023 Results: Out of a total of 26,236 live births, 6,700 (25.53%) were born to adolescent mothers. Many of these mothers were of mestizo ethnicity (94.91%) and had secondary education (80.28%). Multivariate analyses indicated that younger adolescents (<14 years) belonged to minority ethnic groups, substance abuse during pregnancy, underwent episiotomy, and their neonates had a low Apgar score in the first minute of life. Conclusions: Adolescent pregnancy remains a public health issue in Ecuador, associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. It is crucial to implement health policies that address the socioeconomic and cultural determinants of adolescent pregnancy and to conduct prospective studies to better understand the factors involved in these perinatal outcomes.