Obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancies

A retrospective cohort study was performed in a tertiary centre to determine if teenage nulliparas (aged alpha19 years, study group) had higher incidences of instrumental and Caesarean deliveries compared with nulliparas aged 20-34 years (control group) selected from the first women in the birth registry who delivered after each study case and satisfying the criteria for controls. The hospital records of the study and control cases were retrieved for review. Comparison was made in the maternal demographics, major antenatal complications, outcome of labour, mode of delivery, and perinatal outcome. In the study group, maternal height was similar but the body mass index was lower. Although the mean birthweight was lower and the incidences of preterm labour and small-for-gestational-age infants higher, there were also increased incidences of large-for-gestational-age and macrosomic infants. While there was no difference in the types of labour, there were fewer Caesarean and instrumental deliveries, a finding that persisted even after excluding the preterm deliveries. Lastly, teenage mothers aged <17 years had similar outcomes to those aged 17-19 years. These results indicated that teenage mothers had better obstetric outcomes, despite the higher incidence of preterm labour, and that young adolescents (<17 years) performed as well as their older peers.     

Fracture mechanism of coronal teenage dentin

The structure of coronal teenage dentin and the development of cracks in it are studied on microand nanolevels. The material is found to fail according to a ductile mechanism on a microlelvel and according to a ductile–brittle mechanism on a nanoscale. This behavior is similar to the failure of a polyethylene film and rubber, when significant elastic and irreversible deformation precedes crack growth. The viscoelastic behavior can be considered as the reaction of dentin to an applied mechanical load.     

The obstetric implications of teenage pregnancy

A retrospective review was performed on the obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancies delivered in 1 year in a tertiary centre. The results were compared with the rest of the obstetric population in the same hospital in the same year. The teenage mothers (n = 194) had increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (5.2 versus 1.0%, P < 0.05), and preterm labour (13.0 versus 7.0%, P < 0.01), but decreased incidence of gestational glucose intolerance (3.1 versus 11.4%, P < 0.001), when compared with the non-teenage mothers (n = 4914). There was no difference in the types of labour, while the incidence of Caesarean section was lower (4.1 versus 12.6%, P < 0.001) in the teenage mothers. Although the incidence of low birthweight was higher in the teenage mothers (13.5 versus 6.5%, P < 0.001), there was no significant difference in the mean birthweight, gestation at delivery, incidence of total preterm delivery, or perinatal mortality or morbidity. The results indicate that the major risk associated with teenage pregnancies is preterm labour, but the perinatal outcome is favourable. The good results accomplished in our centre could be attributed to the free and readily available prenatal care and the quality of support from the family or welfare agencies that are involved with the care of teenage mothers.     

Teenaged pregnancy and childbearing.

This article reviews recent evidence on the changing patterns of childbearing among adolescents and the impact of premature parenthood on the life course of young mothers and their children. Although adolescent mothers experience conspicuous disadvantages in educational attainment and economic well-being, over time the differences between early and later childbearing appear to diminish somewhat, at least for Blacks. The children of teenage mothers, however, are distinctly worse off throughout childhood than the offspring of older childbearers. The reasons for this disparity are explored. The concluding section discusses a range of preventive and ameliorative strategies for reducing the cost of early childbearing. The evidence supports the need for more integration among services and the importance of increasing the availability of services to those in need. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

I was a teenage mutant diabetic

In order to develop an understanding of diabetes, the author decided to immerse herself in the world of the diabetic patient and adopt their lifestyle for two weeks. This article describes the results.     

Hodgkin's disease: impact on childbearing

Although Hodgkin's disease is considered one of the "curable" cancers, the high cure rates associated with this disease are not accomplished without risk of potentially severe, immediate, and late side effects. Because the predominant histologic subtype of Hodgkin's disease found in the United States generally affects the 15- to 25-year-old age group, the disease, its treatment, and the side effects of treatment will affect many women of childbearing age. The treatment and its effects on the patient and offspring, including posttreatment fertility, are key issues for perinatal nurses.     

Rubella susceptibility in women of childbearing age

The large protein excretion of nephrotic syndrome leads to severe hypoalbuminemia and massive edema. The ensuing hyperlipidemia may not respond to any treatment unless protein losses are corrected. Urinary excretion of clotting factors due to nonselective proteinuria explains, at least in part, the development of a procoagulable state. We report herein four cases of intractable nephrotic syndrome that required medical nephrectomy by bilateral embolization of renal arteries. This procedure, although unusually performed, is an important therapeutic option in selected patients with nephrotic syndrome.     

Bilateral adrenal ganglioneuroblastomas in a teenage boy

We report perioperative management of two patients with severe dilated cardiomyopathy belonging to the group IV of classification of Inoh (ejection fraction 18% and 30%). In the preoperative period, they developed severe congestive heart failure. Dopamine, dobutamine, and furosemide were given to improve cardiac function. Anesthesia was performed safely under continuous cardiac output and mixed venous saturation monitoring. We consider that preoperative evaluation and management are very important to prevent intraoperative and postoperative complications in patients with severe dilated cardiomyopathy.     

Workplace aggression in teenage part-time employees.

Among adult employees, interpersonal injustice and abusive supervision predict aggression toward supervisors at work. The aim of this study was to assess whether similar relationships exist among teenage employees and, further, whether teenagers' reasons for working moderate these relationships. Multiple regression analyses on data from 119 teenage employees showed that financial and personal fulfillment reasons for working moderate the impact of interpersonal injustice and abusive supervision on aggression directed at workplace supervisors. These findings contribute to the understanding of workplace aggression by demonstrating that (a) teenagers engage in this workplace behavior, (b) the predictors are similar to those of adult aggression, and (c) reasons for working play a moderating role among this particular cohort. The possible long-term consequences of teenagers' use of aggression at work are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hodgkin's disease: the protective effect of childbearing

Register and census data for complete cohorts of Norwegian men and women born between 1935 and 1974 were used to examine the relationship between reproductive factors and the incidence of Hodgkin's disease (HD). Among 1.3 million men and 1.3 million women under observation, 695 male and 441 female cases of HD were diagnosed during the period of follow-up. Our hazard model estimates showed that women, at a given age and in a given birth cohort, have an HD incidence inversely related to current parity. A clear relationship was found only for the nodular sclerosis subtype. In men, the risk of HD development was higher than that in childless women, and there was no parity effect. The lower HD incidence among high-parity women could not be ascribed to their lower social status. Presumably, there is a still unidentified protective factor associated with the biology of childbearing, the effect of which possibly wears off with increasing length of time since childbirth. In addition, there are indications of a net effect of age at entry into motherhood, which may explain part of the estimated parity effect.     

Wife abuse among women of childbearing age in Nicaragua

Cytosolic low molecular weight phosphotyrosine-phosphatase shows dephosphorylating activity of the band 3 protein. Increased phosphorylation of this protein increases membrane rigidity and resistance to invasion of red blood cells by malarial parasites. This observation may explain the negative association previously reported by our group between the high activity *C allele of cytosolic low molecular weight phosphotyrosine-phosphatase and past malarial morbidity.     

Sex role conflicts and the experience of childbearing.

Suggests that expectant/new parents in the US face a choice of sex roles: Mothers choose between the traditional role of full-time care-giver and the nontraditional role of combining care-giving and employment; fathers decide between a traditional role with limited involvement in infant care and a nontraditional role with extensive involvement in the birth and care of their infants. In the light of evidence that the decision-making process is a source of substantial conflict for some parents, the author evaluates psychoanalytic views on sex roles and parenthood, traces the emergence of new roles, and considers how clinicians can assist mothers and fathers who are experiencing conflict over sex roles. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abortion, childbearing, and women's well-being.

The relationship of abortion to women's well-being in the context of childbearing experiences and coping resources is examined over a span of 8 yrs using a national sample of 5,295 US women. No evidence of widespread post-abortion trauma was found. Having 1 abortion was positively associated with higher global self-esteem, particularly feelings of self-worth, capableness, and not feeling one is a failure. When childbearing and resource variables were controlled, neither having 1 abortion nor having repeat abortions had an independent relationship to well-being, suggesting that the relationship of abortion to well-being reflects abortion's role in controlling fertility and its relationship to coping resources. When childbearing and abortion variables were controlled, women's well-being was separately and positively related to employment, income, and education, but negatively related to total number of children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)