OBJECTIVE:
to describe the characteristics of the pregnancy-puerperal cycle of hospitalized teenagers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
METHODS:
this is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in five public and one private maternity hospitals over a three month period in 2011 with teenagers aged 10-19, through interviews and consulting medical records and antenatal care forms.
RESULTS:
1,448 pregnant teenagers were included in the study. There were 71 miscarriages and 16 stillbirths. Nine of the 1,367 live births died. 23.5% had Caesarean sections. For the majority (79.8%) it was their first pregnancy, 11.7% reporting smoking, 8.8% alcohol use and 1.2% illicit drug use during pregnancy. The proportion of those aged 10-14 starting antenatal care in the third trimester of pregnancy (9.3%) was higher than among those aged 15-19 (3.3%).
CONCLUSION:
the results show the importance of the problem of teenage pregnancy and changes in their reproductive health care are recommended.
Pregnancy in Adolescence; Maternal and Child Health; Health Statistics; Epidemiology, Descriptive
