Antenatal management of teenage pregnancy

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy has major implications for the mother and child, their wider family, and at a societal and population level. Although teenage pregnancy rates have fallen substantially over the last 30 years, they remain higher in the UK relative to other countries in Western Europe, and a high proportion of teenage pregnancies are unplanned. Teenage pregnancy is associated with major health inequalities, including lower maternal socioeconomic status and education. Furthermore, there is a lack of guidance to inform the antenatal management of teenage mothers to optimize both short- and long-term outcomes for mother and child. This review article outlines the latest trends in teenage pregnancy in the UK, the risks of teenage pregnancy for the mother, fetus and child, and presents proposed antenatal management strategies to optimize outcomes of teenage pregnancies.