RESUMO
The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and characteristics of adolescent deliveries and to identify issues that might require intervention, in Haifa District, which is the third largest in Israel. The specific objectives were to assess the prevalence of 15-19-year-old parturients in the district, to characterize the younger (15-17-year) age group for demographics and educational status as well as for pregnancy and delivery progress, to describe the newborn babies of these mothers, and to compare the Jewish and Arabic subpopulations within the younger group for these parameters.
PIP: The frequency and characteristics of adolescent deliveries in Israel were investigated through a review of the records of 195 young women 15-17 years of age who gave birth during 1984-88 at the 3 main hospitals in Haifa district. The mean number of annual deliveries by teenagers 15-19 years of age in this district was 321, corresponding to a fertility rate of 19 live births/1000 female adolescents. 57.7% of the 15-17 year old mothers were Jewish and 38.6% were Moslem. At delivery, only 11% were attending school and two-thirds were married. All the husbands/partners were older than 19 years. 76% of the pregnancies did not have any accompanying health problems and 87% were full-term births. The birth weight distribution was similar to that recorded for infants of non-adolescent women. There were 3 deaths: 2 stillbirths and 1 death of a premature infant. The relatively favorable pregnancy outcomes in this cohort in part reflect the availability of free prenatal care in Israel and its utilization by 97% of the population, regardless of educational level. The promotion of school attendance for Israeli girls who have dropped out of school is recommended to reduce pregnancy in this age group.
