Pregnancy outcomes among teenagers attending a specialty teen clinic versus a traditional obstetrical/gynecological clinic

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare pregnancy outcomes for teenagers who received prenatal care at a "teen-only" health clinic versus pregnancy outcomes for teenagers who received prenatal care at a "traditional" obstetrical/gynecological clinic. In addition, this study explored the relationship between maternal demographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. Data were collected through retrospective chart reviews for a total sample of 60 cases (30 from the "teen-only" clinic and 30 from the "traditional" clinic). Inclusion criteria were 1) female who was between the age of 1 0 and 19 years when she presented for prenatal care, 2) at least 8 weeks post-partum at the time of the study, 3) prenatal records available in the chart, and 4) delivery record available in the chart. Data on pregnancy outcomes included maternal total weight gain, maternal body mass index, number of weeks at start of prenatal care, number of prenatal appointments attended, post-partum appointment attendance, infant birth weight, infant gestational age, infant apgar scores at birth and 5 minutes post-delivery, maternal complications, and infant complications. Data on demographic characteristics included maternal age, ethnicity, level of education, pregnancy history, and use of substances prior to knowledge of pregnancy. The only statistically significant finding between the two groups was that the education level was higher in the "traditional" clinic sample than the "teen-only" clinic sample. As there were no other statistically significant findings between the two groups, the data were combined to determine if there were relationships between demographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. There were four statistically significant relationships found. Those relationships were that primigravida teenagers gained more weight, started care earlier, attended more prenatal care appointments, and delivered the only infants with complications.