Maternal and neonatal complications of childbirth among adolescents at the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Centre (CHU-SO), Lomé

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To determine maternal and neonatal complications occurring at childbirth
among adolescents.
Materials and methods: This is a
retrospective, descriptive study
conducted from 1st July to 31st December 2019 at the maternity
ward of the Sylvanus Olympio
University Hospital Centre (CHU- SO), Lomé, Togo. The socio- demographic parameters of the
mothers, details of prenatal and
perinatal events and the clinical
profile of the newborns at birth
were studied.
Results: The records of 332 adolescent mothers were studied. The
average age of the mothers was
17.4 ± 1.5 years, with a range of
13-19 years. The pregnancies in
two-thirds (66.3%) were supervised in centres without surgical
facilities and by midwives in
83.1% of cases. A little over half
of the mothers (53.3%) attended
at least four antenatal clinic sessions, while 3.6% attended none.
The modes of delivery were spontaneous vaginal (62.3%) and Caesarean section (35.2%). Complications of pregnancy were recorded
in 12.9% of the mothers. There
were statistically significant associations between the referred status
of the mothers and haemorrhages,
retained placenta and sepsis (p =
0.001, 0.038 and 0.011, respectively). There were no maternal
deaths. The newborn babies required resuscitation in 6.3% of
cases, while 7.0% were stillborn.
There was a statistically significant
relationship between the referred
status of mothers and the occurrence of perinatal deaths (p =
0.0001).
Conclusion: Adolescent mothers
are at risk of complications during
childbirth, and these risks are increased by poor antenatal care and
attempted deliveries in centres
without surgical facilities.
Keywords: Adolescent, Asphyxia,
Perinatal death, Sexual health,
Togo.