Abstract

DOMINGUEZ-ANAYA, Regina  and  HERAZO-BELTRAN, Yaneth. Age as a risk factor for complications arising during pregnancy in adolescents, Cartagena, Colombia 2009: a cross-sectional study. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2011, vol.62, n.2, pp.141-147. ISSN 0034-7434.

Objective: estimating the differences between pregnant adolescent subgroups aged 13 to 15 and 16 to 18 regarding the complications present during pregnancy in Cartagena, Colombia. Materials and methods: this was an observational cross-sectional study which was carried out on 100 pregnant adolescents who had been involved with a foundation during 2008. Sociodemographic variables, nutritional state, healthcare service affiliation, occupation, sexual and reproductive health practices, prenatal control, anemia, urinary and vaginal infection, preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, hypertension, weeks of pregnancy and birth route were all investigated. The results were presented as measures of central tendency and dispersion or percentages according to the type of variable. The groups’ base characteristics were compared by Chi-squared test. The association between both age groups and complications during pregnancy was estimated by means of odds ratio (OR). Results: adolescents aged 13 to 15 ran more risk than adolescents aged 16 to 18 of presenting preterm birth [OR 5.0 (1.86 -13.7 95%CI)] and birth by cesarean section [OR 3.57 (1.25 – 10.5 95%CI)]. Conclusions: it can thus be concluded that pregnancy at an early age leads to complications arising during pregnancy in the group of adolescents aged 13 to 18.

Keywords : adolescents; pregnancy; education; giving birth; anemia.

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