Too young, too risky: Maternal and neonatal outcomes of teenage pregnancy in Pakistan, A scoping review

AKU Student

no

Authors

• Sumia Andleeb Abbasi, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
• Noor e Marfa Shivji, Blessing College of Nursing, Karachi
• Warisha Qamar, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
• Tayyaba Riaz Abbasi, College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan
• Abdullah Riaz Abbasi, AlJadoon College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Karachi
• Raja Adan Asif, AlJadoon College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Karachi

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.71071/JAM/v12i2.1.17

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is a global concern that affects both the developed and developing regions. Adolescent pregnancy is associated with serious maternal and child health outcomes. This paper aims to identify the prevalence and patterns of maternal child health outcome of adolescent’s pregnancies.
Methods: This review utilized the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. To identify the outcomes of the adolescent pregnancies, a wide-ranging search strategy was implemented. Data were extracted from 15 eligible studies with a total population of 5692participants from Pakistan. The studies included maternal characteristics, mode of delivery, and neonatal outcomes. Only quantitative methods were included.
Results: The review of 15 studies discovered that anemia was the most significant and frequent maternal complication among teenage mothers its prevalence ranging from 25.4% to 82%, followed by the Preterm labor/delivery second most common complication rate up to to 29%. Hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia and PIH range between 16.2% and 31.97%. Lower segment cesarean section rates were substantially high (25%–92%), commonly due to obstructed labor among adolescent’s mothers. Adverse neonatal outcomes included the low birth weight up to 31.97% prevalent, stillbirth ranging from 2.16% to 14.8%, and neonatal mortality between 0.7% and 20.6%.
Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy in Pakistan is sturdily associated with elevated risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The increased burden of anemia, preterm birth, hypertensive disorders, and poor neonatal outcomes reflect the urgent need for tailored interventions, attention to improve antenatal care, and enhanced reproductive health rights awareness to mitigate these risks.

Recommended Citation

Abbasi, S A, Shivji, N, Qamar, W, Abbasi, T R, Abbasi, A R, & Asif, R A. Too young, too risky: Maternal and neonatal outcomes of teenage pregnancy in Pakistan, A scoping review. Journal of Asian Midwives. 2025;12(2):52–68.