Physical maturity and outcome of pregnancy in primiparas younger than 16 years of age.

The association of complications and adverse outcomes of early teenage pregnancy with physical growth maturation of mothers was studied in subjects identified from review of medical records in a Pittsburgh obstetrical hospital from 1970 through 1977. Five groups were used to categorize the subjects: (1) 449 primiparas younger than 16 years of age, (2) 347 primiparas 20 to 24 years of age, pair-matched with subjects in group 1 by race, hospital service status, sex of infant, trimester of first prenatal visit, and year of delivery within 5 years, (3) 139 group 1 mothers at the time of their second delivery, (4) 104 group 1 primiparas whose postmenarcheal age was less than or equal to 2.6 years at delivery, and (5) 108 group 1 primiparas whose postmenarcheal age was greater than or equal to 4.1 years at delivery. Subjects in groups 1 and 2, first and second pregnancies of subjects in group 3, and subjects in groups 4 and 5 were compared for prepregnancy weight and height, weight gain during pregnancy, complications of pregnancy, birth weight and gestational age of infant, and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Although primiparas younger than 16 years of age had not achieved mature height and weight, no relationship between mother's physical growth maturation and adverse pregnancy course or outcome was demonstrated.