Outcomes of teenage pregnancy at benghazi medical center 2019-2020

Background: Teenage pregnancy and childbirth to women less than 20 years old continues to be a major global public health concern, affecting more than 16 million girls and young women worldwide. Teenage pregnancy, has been considered to have a higher risk than pregnancy in an adult, because of biological immaturity of the teenager. As teenage pregnancy is one of the major contemporary issues confronting most countries in the world today. The rate of pregnancy among adolescents is increasing, especially in developing countries, with higher adverse health outcomes such as preterm labour, intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight; neonatal death, obstructed labour and maternal mortality. We aimed in this study to assess the risk factors, complications and outcomes among teenage pregnancy at Benghazi Medical center which is a governmental delivery hospital (tertiary hospital) and it is a teaching hospital at Benghazi city in Libya. Subjects and Methods: An observational descriptive case series study were conducted at Benghazi medical center- Libya. The data of this retrospective during one year period 2019 -2020, the data was taken from medical records at the statistical department at Benghazi Medical Center (BMC). A convenience sample of 150 of teenage pregnancies was taken. Demographic and personal characters, age, gender, residency, level of education (primary, secondary school or still student in college), occupation of women. The clinical characteristics such as date of admission to Hospital, gestational age at the time of delivery, parity, gravity, past obstetric history, past medical history, mode of delivery (normal vaginal delivery or cesarean section C/S). The complications during this pregnancy if there any of these complications such as (preeclampsia or eclampsia, abruption placenta, gestational diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infections, or postpartum hemorrhage or obstructed labor, birth injury and any other complications). The outcomes of pregnancy either delivered alive babies. Data relevant to fetal distress or immediate neonatal morbidity or mortality also taken. Moreover, birth weight of the newborns, if multiple pregnancy and stillbirth or intrauterine fetal death and if the mothers handed their babies immediately or transfer to Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU) for any reason finally, were recorded, any sign related to neonatal distress such as Meconium staining or fetal distress by carditomoghraphy CTG. The duration of stay at the NICU and neonatal death within 48hours were recorded. Ethical Considerations for collection of the data was taken. Statistical analysis on study results was performed by the application of the statistical package social science software version 17 (SPSS). Results: The socio-demographic state including the mean age was18.13years with SD 0.745, the minimum age was 16 years. 58.6% of teenage girls had primary level of education. Regarding obstetric history 91.3% of the studied population were primgravida. The majority of girls delivered by C/s. The complications of teenage pregnancies included; Pre term deliveries in 14 % of teenage pregnancies, Preeclampsia 8.6%, anemia in 6.6%, obstructed labor in 5.3%, abruption placenta 4% of the study sample. Perinatal outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm babies, perinatal death, cephalo- pelvic disproportion. Early neonatal death < 48 hours in 9.3 8% of neonates the causes of death were prematurity, fetal distress or birth asphyxia or congenital anomalies. The positive indicator in this study no maternal mortality were recorded. The relationship between mode of delivery of teenage mothers, and outcomes of newborn babies was highly significantly. Conclusions: Our results seemed to confirm the outcomes of previous studies for teenage pregnant women, mainly regarding the increased risks of preterm deliveries, hypertensive pregnancy induced disordered, obstructed labor abruption placenta and the higher incidence of C/S delivery. Furthermore, the risk factors including poor education of mothers unemployment, anemia and infections. In general, the teenage pregnancy resulted in a number of negative maternal and neonatal consequences due to the incomplete development of genital tract and the musculoskeletal system of pregnant adolescents predispose them to worse overall obstetrical outcomes. The positive indicator of this study no maternal mortality were recorded. Recommendations: Firstly, appropriate and adequate counselling on different antenatal services. Increase awareness of family about complications of teenage pregnancy and their impact on mother child and society, and encourage of females to complete high school. Secondly, future studies using larger sample sizes and the need for a prospective study of the obstetric performance of teenage mothers in community and possible comparison of the pregnancy outcome between the younger and older teenagers. Thirdly, encourage doctors to complete the medical records. Finally, teenage pregnancy needs to be tackled as a priority to ease the burden of socioeconomic and health problem.