Teenage Pregnancy—an Inter‐racial Study

Summary The obstetrical outcome of pregnancy in primigravid patients aged 16 years or less of three racial groups, white, Cape coloured and Bantu, is compared. Each group consisted of 100 consecutive patients. The major differences found were an increased incidence of cephalo‐pelvie disproportion and associated high Caesarean section rate in the Cape coloured and Bantu groups, a lower rate of engagement of the fetal head before labour in the non‐white patients and a high prematurity rate in the Cape coloured group. An equally high incidence of toxaemia of pregnancy was found in all racial groups and the increased incidence of this syndrome in the young primigravid patient was confirmed.