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Prenatal Care for Pregnant Adolescents in a Public High School
Author(s) -
Berg Marjorie,
Taylor Barbara,
Edwards Laura E.,
Hakanson Erick Y.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1979.tb05274.x
Subject(s) - prenatal care , medicine , pregnancy , family medicine , public health , retrospective cohort study , pediatrics , obstetrics , nursing , population , environmental health , genetics , biology
Two groups of pregnant adolescents enrolled in the St. Paul, Minnesota Maternal and Infant Care Project were involved in this study. A retrospective analysis of obstetrical summary sheets of delivered pregnant adolescents was conducted to demonstrate the relationship of the availability of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program of prenatal care in a regular public school setting to the achievement of early and continuous prenatal care and to the minimizing of obstetrical complications of the pregnant adolescents who were students in the school. A total sample of 36 students who received prenatal care in the school clinic (study group) from 1973 to 1976 was compared with a random sample of 36 adolescent patients (matched for race) who received care at a non‐school clinic (comparison group). The data demonstrated that the study group initiated care earlier and had more total prenatal visits than did the comparison group. Also demonstrated were fewer obstetrical complications in the study group than in the comparison group. The comparison group had more low birth weight infants and more complicated deliveries than did the study group. Therefore, the results of this study support the initial objective and may have significance for educators and health personnel.