Perinatal outcomes and long-term health in offspring of teenage mothers

Abstract Study objective To evaluate whether extremely young maternal age (≤17 years) is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome and an increased risk for long-term pediatric morbidity in offspring. Design A retrospective population-based cohort study, comparing all singleton deliveries of women, between the years 1991-2014. Parturient were classified into three groups according to age at delivery: ≤17, 18–20, and 21-35 (the comparison group). The incidence of long-term hospitalizations of offspring due to cardiovascular, endocrine, hematological and respiratory morbidity were evaluated in the three maternal age groups. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to compare the cumulative morbidity incidence. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the association between young maternal age and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and long-term offspring morbidities (using survival analysis) while controlling for multiple potential confounders. Results 213,177 deliveries met the inclusion criteria: 90.1% (n=192,185) occurred in mothers aged 21-35 years, 18-20 years old (n= 18645; 8.7%) and 2,347 were aged ≤ 17 (1.1%). Using multivariable logistic regression models, both low birth weight and preterm delivery were significantly associated with young maternal age. The incidence of long-term morbidities of the offspring did not differ between the groups, in either the Kaplan Meier analysis or the multivariable survival analysis. Conclusion Teenage pregnancy is a risk factor for low birth weight and preterm delivery, as well as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. However, young maternal age does not appear to have an impact on risk for long-term morbidity of the offspring.