Adolescent pregnancy in French Guiana: double trouble for young mothers and small vulnerable newborns.

OBJECTIVES

Adolescent pregnancies (AP), defined as pregnancies in girls aged 10-19 years, are associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. They are frequently reported among those with low economic status. French Guiana (FG) is a French overseas territory with important social inequalities in South America, marked by inequalities. Our study aimed to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and use of the healthcare system for AP in FG.

STUDY

DESIGN

Population based historical cohort.

METHODS

This study included all births in FG between 2013 and 2021. Data from each mother-newborn pair ≥22 weeks of gestation and/or weighing ≥500 g were analysed. AP were compared to non-AP.

RESULTS

67,962 newborns were included. AP accounted for 8810 pregnancies (13.0 %), which was 10 times more than in France. Newborns from AP were more frequently transferred to neonatal care units when compared to those from non-AP (10.6 % vs 9.5 %, p < 10-3). St-Laurent-du-Maroni hospital (western part of FG) was the main place of delivery for AP with 50.7 % of all AP delivering there. Two countries of origin of the mothers accounted for the majority of AP: FG (65.9 %) and Suriname (17.3 %) (p<10-3). AP were more frequently associated with preterm birth (aOR = 1.09 [1.01-1.18]), small for gestational age newborns (aOR = 1.66 [1.55-1.78]) and lack of health insurance coverage at delivery (aOR = 1.34[1.19-1.49]).

CONCLUSIONS

AP in FG is a public health concern. Comprehensive prevention and care approaches are needed given the double burden faced by young mothers and their children.