Socio-demographic determinants of teenage pregnancy in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Young maternal age at delivery has been proposed as risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome, it occurs in all races, faiths, socioeconomic statuses, and regions. Teenage mothers are likely to be unmarried, poor and to sacrifice education. Isolation, unstable marriages, stress, and guilt are among many social and psychological problems. The aim of this study is to determine the socio-demographic factors associated with teenage pregnancy in our environment, in order to proffer measures that can help curtail this continuing socio-medical problem. The records of all teenage mothers (aged 13 - 19) who had delivery at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, over a period of 4 Years (January 1 2007 to December 31 2010) were retrospectively reviewed. There were a total of 1341 deliveries during the study period, out which 83 were teenagers giving an incidence of 6.2%. The age of the patients ranged from 14% to 19 years with a mean age of (28.1 ± 5.7) years. Their parity ranged from zero to three, with a mean of 2.4 ± 1.9. About a third (20%/24.1%) were primigravidae, 33%/39.9% had at least secondary education and majority (48/57.8%) were unbooked, unmarried (60%/ 72.3%), unemployed (62%/74.7%) and of low social class. Majority 71 (85.5%) of the teenage mothers had never used any form of modern contraceptive method and 45 (54.2%) of them had terminated at least one pregnancy in the past. 26 (31.3%) had Caesarean sections, majority of which were emergencies 22 (84.6%). It was concluded that teenage mothers in the Niger Delta tend to have unfavorable socio-demographic and obstetric factors. Concrete measures must be put in place to address these.