Abstract

MONTERROSA-CASTRO, Álvaro  and  ARIAS-MARTINEZ, Merizalde. Vaginal and caesarean births in adolescents: patterns from 1993-2005 in the Rafael Calvo Maternity Hospital in Cartagena, Colombia. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2007, vol.58, n.2, pp.108-115. ISSN 0034-7434.

Pregnancy in adolescents is becoming a growing problem, having profound personal and social implications. The 2005 National Demography and Health survey revealed that adolescents’ general fecundity rate has increased, estimating a rate of 90 births 1,000 adolescents for 2005. Objective: this work was aimed at describing birth frequency in adolescents over 13 years at the Rafael Calvo Maternity Hospital in Cartagena, Colombia. Methodology: this was a cross-sectional study, using annual periods. Records of females presenting vaginal or caesarean birth 1993-2005 were included. Births following gestation greater than 28 weeks to full-term were included. Age and birth route were evaluated. Results: adolescent maternity increased from 22.7% in 1993 to 29.8% in 2005. The incidence of maternity in adolescents aged less than 15 has doubled, rising from 0.5% in 1993 to 1.3% in 2005.  Caesarean section incidence has increased in both adults and adolescents, but the magnitude of the increase has been significantly greater in females aged less than 20, rising from 11.5% in 1993 to 57.9% in 2005. Conclusions: there has been increased frequency in adolescent pregnancy and maternity, especially in females aged less than 15.

Keywords : adolescence; adolescents; maternity in adolescents; pregnancy in adolescents; childbirths in adolescents; caesarean in adolescents.

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