Children having children: Outcome of extreme teenage pregnancies (13-15 years)

A case-control study was conducted to compare obstetric and fetal outcomes of teenage mothers <= 15 years (n = 35) with those from older teenagers between 16 and 19 years (n = 35) and mothers between 20 and 30 years (n = 35) matched for ethnicity and parity. Teenage mothers <= 15 years were significantly more likely to come from single-parent families and twice as likely to have experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse compared to those over 16 years (both p < 0.0001). They attended antenatal appointments later than older teenagers (23 +/- 7 weeks vs. 18 +/- 7 weeks, p < 0.05), had fewer visits (p < 0.05), were more likely to undergo emergency cesarean section (25.7% vs. 5.7% vs. 8.6%, p < 0.05) and to have a higher rate of perineal trauma (45.7% vs. 20.0% vs. 25.7%, p < 0.05). However, all three groups delivered babies of comparable birthweights (3.2 +/- 0.5 kg vs. 3.1 +/- 0.7 kg vs. 3.3 +/- 0.6 kg, p > 0.05) at similar gestations (39 +/- 4 weeks vs. 39 +/- 2 weeks vs. 39 +/- 3 weeks, p > 0.05).