Situation and Teenage Pregnancy Impact in Sisaket Hospital’s Health Service Network

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the situation and impact of teenage pregnancy (age 13-19) in Sisaket Province, Thailand; and to compare the impact with mothers age 20-34 years old as control. Data were collected from medical record of all admitted and delivered primigavida mother at Sisaket hospital during October 2013 to September 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared teenage and adult pregnancies with Chi-square test, odds ratio and 95% confident interval. There were altogether 1,804 deliveries during the study period and 275 cases (15.24%) were teenage pregnancy. It was found that the teenage pregnancy had significantly higher risk for delayed first antenatal care visit (OR=3.78), incompleted antenatal cares program (OR=1.51), anemia (OR=1.70), HIV infected (OR=10.32), syphilis (OR=1.71), neonatal low birth weight (OR=1.76), birth asphyxia (OR=2.37), and preterm delivery (OR=1.44) compared to the control group. However, the risk of cesarean section was lower (OR=0.67). Teenage pregnancy was also found to have higher rate of un-wanted pregnant (OR=4.59), abortion (OR=2.26), no identifiable husband (OR=3.01), having other people raising their child (OR=3.23), or living separately from husband (OR=2.37) (p<0.05). There-fore, it is important to prevent pregnancy in teenagers; but if it’s already occurred it is advised that they should have a proper pregnancy care before 12 weeks. In addition, they should be advised to have proper nutrition to lower the risk of anemia, to have knowledge on sexual transmitted diseases to prevent or lower the chance of getting one; and to avoid behaviors that could cause preterm laboring which might result in neonatal low birth weight or birth asphyxia. In conclusion, teenage population should receive proper social care and be educated to prevent unwanted pregnancy and abortion as well as to have knowledge in childcare.