Teenage Pregnancy: Complications & Management

Preterm birth is common in girls under twenty years of age because of immaturity of the reproductive organs. There is increased risk of anaemia in adolescent because of nutritional deficiency, especially iron and folic acid. Teenage pregnancy also leads to unsafe abortion. Obstructed labour occurs in young girls (below 15 years of age) due to the small size of birth canal leading to cephalo-pelvic disproportion. Lack of access to medical and surgical care in teenage pregnancy can result in complications like vesico-vaginal and recto-vaginal fistulae. Pregnant teenagers face many of the same pregnancy related issues as other women. There are, however, additional concerns for those under the age of 15 as they are less likely to be physically developed enough to sustain a healthy pregnancy or to give birth. For girls aged 15–19 risks are associated more with socioeconomic factors than with the biological effects of age. Risks of low birth weight, premature labour, anaemia, and pre-eclampsia are connected to the biological age, being observed in teen births even after controlling for other risk factors such as accessing prenatal care etc.