Problematic of adolescent childbirth in the African context

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent childbirth is considered a particular condition that raises both medical and social concerns. Objective: To determine the frequency and evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes of adolescent deliveries at Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Mali Materials and Methods: This was a 9-month prospective case-control analytic study, from November 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. It included adolescents aged 10–19 years with singleton pregnancies of at least 28 weeks of gestation, compared to women aged ?20 years meeting the same criteria. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Pearson’s chi-square test was applied for comparisons, with statistical significance set at p?0.05. Results: During the study period, 455 adolescents delivered at Nianankoro Fomba Hospital out of 2,381 deliveries, representing a frequency of 19.10%. Unmarried adolescents accounted for 10.48% (OR=0.073, p=0.000). Undesired pregnancies were more frequent among adolescents (6.52% vs 0.99%; p=0.000; OR=0.14). Absence of antenatal care (ANC) was higher (9.63% vs 11.33%; p=0.002; ?²=12.857). Preterm births were more common (29.49% vs 22.83%; p=0.0531; F=11.869). Instrumental deliveries were slightly higher (5.75% vs 3.42%; p=0.055; ?²=4.913). Cesarean section rate was significantly increased (35.98% vs 25.50%; p=0.000; OR=0.609). Eclampsia was more frequent in adolescents (25.98% vs 13.33%; p=0.000; F=106.519). Maternal deaths were also higher (0.28% vs 0.14%; OR=2.003). Conclusion: Compared with adult women, adolescent deliveries in Ségou remain significantly associated with increased maternal, fetal, and perinatal risks.