Perinatal outcome of primiparous teenagers in northern Namibia

Abstract

SUMMARY Internationally, teenagers are at risk for pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. We assessed the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of teenage pregnancies compared with their older counterparts in northern Namibia. We made a retrospective study using birth records from February 2002 to August 2002. The data collected included perinatal mortality, delivery mode, birth weight, in-hospital days and frequency of antenatal care (ANC) attendance. They were compared with primiparous women in different age groups ( n = 612). No differences were found in obstetric and perinatal outcomes between the three different age groups. Overall ANC attendance was high. The perinatal outcome for pregnant teenagers was comparable with their older counterparts in northern Namibia. In this region, ANC succeeds in reaching pregnant teenagers and teenage pregnancies are not at an increased risk for obstetric complications.