Pregnancy in adolescents

Abstract

WHO defines adolescence as the period in which reproductive capacity is acquired, childhood-adult, consolidation of socioeconomic independence. Teen pregnancy is the one that occurs between 10 to 19 years of age. Regarding statistics Latin America and the Caribbean is the second region with the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world. The incidence of these in Latin America is 25% and in Africa 45%. At the time of the clinical evaluation of the patient, it is necessary to ask: What type of relationship does the pregnancy occur in? What contraceptive methods did she use and with what regularity? What type of information do you use to make decisions? The biological development in adolescence is oriented to three characteristics, the first is the height that during this stage is reached between 15-25% of the final size of the adult, the weight that during adolescence earns 25% of the final weight of the adult and finally the bone mass that 90% is reached at 18 years. Among the main risks and consequences of a pregnancy in adolescents, are anemia, infections such as pyelonephritis and chorioamnionitis, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, hypertensive disorders and postpartum hemorrhage. Main consequences in the newborn are prematurity, low birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome and congenital malformations.