[Effects of maternal age on neonatal health status: Chilean evidence]

The pregnancy outcomes and growth and development of infants of adolescent mothers were compared with those of older mothers of the same parity and socioeconomic status in a Chilean program providing intensive prenatal care to adolescent mothers and strongly encouraging breast feeding among all mothers. Prenatal care for adolescents at the Hospital San Borja the study site includes psychological consultation individualized prenatal care health education and evaluation by a social worker. Adolescent mothers also receive a monthly allowance of 2 kg of powdered whole milk and 1 kg of vitamin-enriched rice. Older mothers receive standard prenatal care and 1 kg of low fat powdered milk monthly. The data were collected by midwives between October 1992 and January 1993 10-12 months after delivery. The sample included 50 mothers 14-16 years old 46 mothers 17- 19 and 61 mothers 20-24 years old. The only significant difference between adolescent mothers and older mothers in the maternal characteristics studied was in the number of prenatal visits which amounted to 1.5 fewer on average for the younger mothers. The adolescent mothers also gained less weight during pregnancy but their infants weighed 100 g more on average than the infants of older mothers. 4.2% of the infants of adolescent mothers and 8.2% of those of older mothers were low birth weight. None of the mothers 14-16 years old had a low birth weight infant. 8 infants of mothers 14-16 years old 3 of mothers 17-19 and 1 of an older mother required hospitalization. The proportion of infants of older mothers requiring hospitalization may have been underreported since only 2/3 of the older mothers vs. 91% of adolescent mothers returned for follow-up at 9 months.