Effect of maternal age on birth outcomes among young adolescents

This study examined the effect of maternal age on birth outcomes among young adolescents, ages 10 through 15. All records representing single births of primipara, Black or White adolescents, were selected for analysis from the 1983-1986 National Center for Health Statistics' Public Use Linked Live Birth-Infant Death Data File (n = 127,668). Logistic regression analyses controlled for effects of maternal race, marital status, prenatal care, gravidity, education, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan residency. Univariate analyses indicated that the youngest adolescents were at greatest risk for negative birth outcomes including very preterm and preterm delivery, low birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA), and neonatal mortality. Logistic analyses showed similar results, with the exception that differences in SGA were insignificant. This study indicates the importance of examining age-specific birth outcomes among a population that has traditionally been studied in aggregate and underscores the need for increased prevention efforts.