Pregnancy in the young primigravida

A study of pregnancy and delivery has been made in 299 white and Negro women 15 years of age and younger. Fifteen and seven-tenths per cent of the white patients and 70.4 per cent of the Negro patients stated that they were not married. Antepartal care was considered adequate in only 47.2 per cent of the patients. The acute toxemias of pregnancy, which occurred in 17.7 per cent of the patients, were the most common major obstetrical complication. Labor and delivery were not influenced by the age of the patient. The perinatal mortality rate was 5.9 per cent and the prematurity rate was 17.4 per cent. The frequency of complications was greater in the patients who were not married and who did not receive adequate care. The need for sex education and education for parenthood at an early age is stressed.