This paper compares socioeconomic characteristics, prenatal care, and life styles of three groups of post-partum women, one consisting of adolescents (< 20 years) and the other two of women 20-34 years old, classified according to their history of pregnancy during adolescence. A sample of 3,508 post-partum women was selected from public hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and interviewed just after childbirth. To verify the hypothesis of homogeneity of proportions, chi-square tests (chi2) were used. Comparing the three groups, the most adverse conditions were found among the 20-34-year-old mothers with a history of pregnancy during adolescence. These women have the least schooling, the highest rates of smoking and use of illegal drugs during pregnancy, and the fewest prenatal appointments. According to this study, prenatal care proved to be an effective compensatory policy for the prevention of prematurity and low birth weight, especially among adolescent mothers.
Pregnancy in Adolescence; Low Birth Weight Infant; Maternal and Child Health; Life Style
