A Retrospective Review of Gynaecological and Social Outcomes for Teenage Pregnancies from 2020 to 2022 in Stoke-on-Trent

Background: /Objectives: Adolescent pregnancies are associated with negative outcomes of health and social and economic consequences for both the mother and child. To determine the incidence of gynaecological complications and negative determinants of health affecting pregnant women less than 20 years old at the time of delivery in Stoke-on-Trent, with the goal of improving local and national trust guidelines. Methods: A retrospective case note review was conducted using electronic databases. Subjects had to be under the age of 20 years old at the time of delivery at our local tertiary hospital from January 2020 to December 2022. Results: Four hundred and seventy-three women met inclusion criteria. The median age was 18 years old (range: 13-19 years). Most women delivered at term (mean 38 +3), were primigravida (76%), and underwent spontaneous delivery (43%). Both our induction rate of 28.2% and caesarean section rate of 18.4% were below the national averages. Complications of post-partum haemorrhage and low birth weights exceeded the national averages, with third- to fourth-degree perineal tears just below the national incidence rate of 2.9%. Negative social determinants of health included smoking, mental illness, and low breastfeeding rates. Our mean 3-year breastfeeding rate was 24.3%. Conclusions: This single-centre audit at a large tertiary hospital has demonstrated that women under the age of 20 years old in socially deprived areas of the UK are more likely to experience negative gynaecological and social outcomes from their pregnancies compared to areas of low deprivation within the UK.