Trends in Childhood Viable Pregnancy and Risk of Stillbirth in the United States

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess trends in childhood viable pregnancy over the previous three decades as well as the risk of stillbirth in these highly vulnerable child mothers. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study that used Birth datasets, Fetal Death datasets, and the US population census data: 1982-2017. To assess the association between various socio-demographic and maternal comorbidities and stillbirth, we generated adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) from Cox Proportional Hazards Regression models. Overall, there were declines in the stillbirth rates in both teens (15-19 years old) and child mothers aged ≤ 14 years, but the rate remained consistently higher among child mothers. Compared to teen mothers, childhood pregnancy was modestly associated with elevated risk for stillbirth. Childhood pregnancy is a risk factor for stillbirth. These findings further underscore the need for sustained efforts and policies to prevent pregnancies in the early years of reproductive development.