Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2002 Jan;92(1):125-8.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.92.1.125.

Defining early adolescent childbearing

Maureen G Phipps  1 , MaryFran Sowers
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Defining early adolescent childbearing

Maureen G Phipps et al. Am J Public Health. 2002 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: This study determined the age group for the case definition of early adolescent childbearing based on rates of adverse clinical outcomes.

Methods: We examined rates of infant mortality, very low birthweight (<1500 g), and very preterm delivery (<32 weeks) per 1000 live births for all US singleton first births (n = 768 029) to women aged 12 to 23 years in the 1995 US birth cohort.

Results: Rates of infant mortality, very low birthweight, and very preterm delivery were graphed by maternal age. In all 3 cases, the inflection point below which the rate of poor birth outcome is lower and begins to stabilize is at 16 years; therefore, mothers 15 years and younger were grouped together to determine the case definition of early adolescent childbearing. The inflection points were similar when outcomes were stratified by the 3 largest US racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican American).

Conclusions: From this population-based analysis of birth outcomes, we conclude that early adolescent childbearing is best defined as giving birth at 15 years or younger.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
—Rates of very low birthweight and infant mortality per 1000 live births.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Luker K. Dubious Conceptions: The Politics of Teenage Pregnancy. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press; 1996.
    1. Ventura SJ, Mathews TJ, Curtin SC. Declines in teenage birth rates, 1991–1998: update of national and state trends. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 1999;47(26):1–10. - PubMed
    1. Cooper LG, Leland NL, Alexander G. Effect of maternal age on birth outcomes among young adolescents. Soc Biol. 1995;42:22–35. - PubMed
    1. Berenson AB, Wiemann CM, McCombs SL. Adverse perinatal outcomes in young adolescents. J Reprod Med. 1997;42:559–564. - PubMed
    1. Brown HL, Fan YD, Gonsoulin WJ. Obstetric complications in young teenagers. South Med J. 1991;84:46–48. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms