COMPARISON OF OBSTETRIC OUTCOMES BETWEEN TEENAGE AND NON-TEENAGE PREGNANCIES AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN PESHAWAR

Abstract

Background:

Teenage pregnancy remains an important public health concern worldwide, particularly in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, where sociocultural and socioeconomic factors may contribute to early marriage and subsequent childbearing. Despite ongoing efforts to address adolescent pregnancy, limited evidence is available regarding its obstetric outcomes in this region.

Objective

To compare obstetric outcomes and maternal and neonatal complications among teenage mothers aged 14–18 years and non-teenage mothers aged 19–36 years in peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Study Design

Retrospective comparative study.

Place and Duration of Study

Department of Gynecology, tertiary  Hospitals, peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from march , 2025, to  november, 2025

Materials and Methods

A retrospective comparative study was conducted among women who delivered at the study hospital during the study period. Teenage mothers aged 14–18 years were compared with non-teenage mothers aged 19–36 years. Maternal and neonatal obstetric outcomes were assessed using available medical records. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi-square test, while continuous variables were compared using Student’s t-test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Among 910 deliveries, 128 (14.1%) were among non-teenage mothers, while the remaining deliveries were among teenage mothers. Teenage mothers had higher frequencies of severe anemia (7.5% vs. 4.1%), chorioamnionitis (2.6% vs. 0.6%), post-term pregnancy (4.6% vs. 1.8%), and meconium aspiration syndrome (6.5% vs. 2.4%) compared with non-teenage mothers. Teenage mothers were less likely to be overweight than non-teenage mothers. Instrumental delivery was significantly more frequent among teenage mothers (7.1% vs. 2.2%, p=0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups regarding preterm birth, low birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal mortality, or fetal mortality.

Conclusion

Teenage pregnancy was associated with a higher frequency of severe anemia, chorioamnionitis, post-term pregnancy, meconium aspiration syndrome, and instrumental delivery compared with non-teenage pregnancy. However, no significant differences were observed in preterm birth, low birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal mortality, or fetal mortality. These findings highlight the importance of appropriate antenatal surveillance and obstetric care for teenage mothers to identify and manage pregnancy-related complications and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.