Early teenage obstetrics at Waikato Hospital

Obstetrics and perinatal outcomes of Thai pregnant adolescents: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Adolescent pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to compare pregnancy outcomes in adolescent females aged 19 and younger with those of adult women aged 20-34 years.

DESIGN

A retrospective case control study was designed to address the purpose of the study.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants of this study consisted of 401 randomly selected adolescent females and 815 adult mothers who gave birth at a regional hospital in Bangkok from 2001 to 2003.

METHODS

Two domains of pregnancy outcomes; maternal and infant outcomes were collected from participants' medical and prenatal records by trained observers.

RESULTS

The study revealed that, compared to the adult mothers, teenage mothers were less likely to make the first prenatal visit in their first trimester (16% and 38.9%, p<.001), to have adequate prenatal care (83% and 91%, p<.01), and cesarean sections (odds ratio (OR) 2.05, confidence interval (CI) 1.44, 2.92). They had higher rates of anemia (OR 0.44, CI 0.26, 0.75), preterm deliveries (OR 1.21, CI 1.01, 1.75), and lower mean birth weight babies (2931 g and 3077 g, p<.001).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that, while teenage pregnancy outcomes have improved in recent years due to medical accessibility, pregnant adolescents continue to be complicated requiring clinical interventions from the health care providers.

Politicizing dominant discursive constructions about teenage pregnancy: re-locating the subject as social

Authors of research examining the issue of teenage pregnancy represent authoritative social voices, in strong positions of warrant that participate in shaping dominant social attitudes towards the subject. Their research projects are used to develop policies, information, service provision and practices that are major forces in shaping the actual experience of being pregnant as a teenager. This article examines local examples of such research and locates interpretation of these alongside other international studies. Prevalent in the research is the taken for granted assumption that pregnancy in adolescence is undesirable, and that research knowledge can, and should be, applied to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy. Despite clear indications of social issues being a major source of negative impacts of being pregnant in adolescence, the dominant theme is of teenage pregnancy as an individual health or behavioural problem in need of a psychological solution. This article would like to draw attention to and make visible the contingent, political and potentially problematic nature of those constructions. The suggestion is made that future work could benefit from genuine attention to: 1) social issues, especially in relation to resources and access; 2) work that explores meanings around pregnancy for young people, and 3) the application of politically engaged reflexivity in research.