Teenaged and pre-teenaged pregnancies: Consequences of the fetal-maternal competition for nutrients

Extract: Fetuses grew more slowly in 10- to 16-year-old mothers than in older mothers, suggesting that the growth needs of young mothers compete with the growth needs of their fetuses for available nutrients. These mothers had significantly smaller newborns at term than older mothers when the variou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 1981, Vol.67 (1), p.146-150
Main Author: Naeye, Richard L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetone - urine
Adolescent
Adult
age
Birth Weight
Body Height
Body Weight
Cephalometry
Child
Female
fetal growth
fetus
Humans
Infant Mortality
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Small for Gestational Age
Maternal Age
nutrient requirements
nutrient utilization
perinatal mortality
Pregnancy
Pregnancy in Adolescence
pregnant adolescents
Prospective Studies
weight gain
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Summary:Extract: Fetuses grew more slowly in 10- to 16-year-old mothers than in older mothers, suggesting that the growth needs of young mothers compete with the growth needs of their fetuses for available nutrients. These mothers had significantly smaller newborns at term than older mothers when the various maternal age groups were matched for prepregnancy body size and pregnancy weight gain. Five percent of the urines of 10- to 14-year-old mothers had 2+ or greater acetone vs only 2% of the urines of 17- to 32-year-old mothers. Acetonuria has been shown to be a marker for high perinatal mortality in undernourished gestations, and it correlated with a high perinatal mortality in the study. The growth retardation found in the newborns of very young mothers disappeared during childhood. The most significant consequence of maternal-fetal competition for nutrients may be increased risk of fetal or neonatal death. Optimal pregnancy weight gains may therefore be higher in teenagers than in older women. (author/nm)
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.67.1.146