[Teenage pregnancy in Madagascar: impact on the health of mother and child].

Abstract

In committing itself to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, Madagascar committed itself to reducing maternal and infant mortality. Teenagers must be a target for activities to improve maternal and child health, for analyses of survey data show clearly that teenager pregnancies present a risk to the health of both young mothers and their children; in particular, both have a higher risk of death than older mothers and their children. These differences can be explained both by biological factors and socioeconomic variables (place of residence, educational level, etc). The issue of abortion is also important, for it is an important cause of maternal mortality, especially among young girls. Beyond the actions of prevention, post-abortion care could help to reduce the complications of abortions and thus mortality among women.