Obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancy at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital: A 3-year review

Background: Teenage pregnancy is generally considered to be a high-risk event. Teenage mothers are physically and psychologically ill-prepared for reproduction. Low socioeconomic status and lack of prenatal care are among the factors influencing pregnancy outcome in these patients. Objective: To assess the obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancy, its current trends, sociodemographic determinants, and incidence in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 540 teenage primigravidae who delivered in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital between 1 st of January 2009 and 31 st of December 2011. Results: The incidence of teenage pregnancy over the study period was 5.8% (58/1000 deliveries). Majority of the patients (78.9%) belonged to low socioeconomic class. Pregnancy complications prevalent in these patients included anemia (33.5%), low birth weight (17.8%), preeclampsia/eclampsia (12.4%), preterm labor (11.5%), and stillbirth (2.5%). Cesarean section rate among them was 18.9%. Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy because of the associated pregnancy complications which are more prevalent in the unbooked patients. Access to health care services, girl-child education, and improvement of the socioeconomic status of the patients will reduce its incidence.