P-18 Teenage Pregnancy, its prevalence, and adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes at New Amsterdam Hospital
Author(s):
N Singh, S Singh
Year of Presentation:
2023
Objective: To determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy along with the obstetric and perinatal outcomes at New Amsterdam Regional Hospital between the period of May 2019 to May 2021.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital. The medical records of teenagers (13 to 19 years old), who delivered at the institution during the period of May 2019 to May 2021 were reviewed. This information was collected using a data collection tool, analyzed and a final report was prepared.
Results: A total of 7234 women gave birth during this period, of which 5.8% (n=417) were teenagers. The age with the highest prevalence was 17 years old (25.4% (n=77)). Most patients had term deliveries as opposed to preterm (76.9 % (n= 233) vs 12.5% (n=38)). A significant number of patients had adverse obstetrical outcomes (98% (n= 297)); the need for an episiotomy (51.4% (n= 156) p = 0.818) and delivery via Cesarean section (14.5% (n=44) p= 0.252) were the most common. One hundred and fifty-four (50.8%) neonates had adverse outcomes with a low APGAR score at 1 minute while low birth weight was the most frequent (13.2% (n=40) p=0.004).
Conclusion: Although the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in Guyana may be lower than in some countries; it is significant. Adolescent pregnancies are a public health problem associated with considerable adverse obstetrical and perinatal outcomes. Hence there is an urgent need to focus attention on the reproductive health needs of our young women.