Adolescent pregnancy - another look

Article Abstract:

Adolescent mothers may have a higher risk of preterm, low-birth-weight infants because the mothers' bodies are biologically immature. Sociodemographic factors such as low income and inadequate prenatal care were previously thought to be the main reasons young mothers had poor pregnancy outcomes. A 1995 study of mostly white, middle-class young mothers found that mothers under 18 who were married, educated, and who had adequate prenatal care had worse pregnancy outcomes than mothers 20 to 24 years of age. New political initiatives seek to restrict funding for prenatal care for pregnant adolescents on the assumption that this will reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies. Restricting medical services for pregnant adolescents may instead increase the risk of delivering preterm, low-birth-weight infants.

Editorial

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Association of young maternal age with adverse reproductive outcomes

Article Abstract:

Biological immaturity of adolescent mothers may account for their higher risk of having a premature or low-birth-weight baby. Researchers studied 134,088 white 13- to 24-year-old mothers in Utah, a state with a population that is mostly white and middle-class. Even though these women were married and middle-class, they still had a disproportionate number of preterm, low-birth-weight, and small-for-gestational-age babies. The babies of the 13- to 17-year olds had more problems than the infants of 20- to 24-year old mothers. Infants experienced problems even when their young mothers received adequate prenatal care.

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Treatment of periodontal disease and the risk of preterm birth

Article Abstract:

The effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on preterm birth was studied to determine the association of maternal periodontal disease with an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. The findings suggested that treatment of periodontitis in pregnant women improves periodontal disease and is safe but does not significantly alter rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, or fetal growth restriction.

Care and treatment, Periodontal disease, Periodontal diseases, Clinical report

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