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Are rural adolescents necessarily at risk of poorer obstetric and birth outcomes?
Author(s) -
GaffSmith Mavis
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1854.2005.00656.x
Subject(s) - medicine , forceps , forceps delivery , obstetrics , vaginal delivery , population , pediatrics , pregnancy , gynecology , surgery , environmental health , biology , genetics
Objective: The purpose of the present study were to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of adolescent women giving birth at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, and compare these with those with all adolescents in New South Wales.Design: An investigative approach.Main outcome measures: Obstetric complications, delivery intervention and adverse infant outcomes.Setting: Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.Participants: One hundred and sixteen adolescents aged 15–19 years.Results: In relation to obstetric complications and infants with complications, the study sample was found to be representative of New South Wales adolescents. However, for type of delivery there was a higher rate of forceps delivery (12.3% (15) vs 4.7% (415) P = 0.0001), forceps rotation (4.1% (5) vs 0.9% (80) P = 0.004) and fewer normal vaginal deliveries (67.2% (82) vs 80.8% (7108) P = 0.006) at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.Conclusion: These findings suggest that rural adolescents are at risk of delivery complications and are less likely to have a normal vaginal delivery. More research is required into obstetric and birth outcomes for the rural adolescent population.