Medical utilization of 6-month-old infants born to adolescent mothers –Results of the Taiwan birth cohort study

• Main Authors: Jin-Fan Luo, 羅斤汎
• Other Authors: Meng-Chih Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87738849413370560031

碩士 === 中山醫學大學 === 醫學研究所 === 101 === Adolescent pregnancy is known to cause serious consequences for the health of the girl and her infant, and is a challenge that the public health and society must face. Important information regarding the health of the adolescent mother and her child can be revealed by analyzing their medical utilization rate. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether the birth outcome of adolescent pregnancy is less positive than that of adult pregnancy. It also explores the differences in maternal health, birth outcome, and parenting education between the adolescent and the adult mothers, and its effects on the medical utilization and immunization rate of their six-months-old baby. Research design: Data of the newborn and six-months-old baby was derived from the questionnaire interviews of Taiwan Birth Cohort Study (TBCS), from July 1st 2005 to June 30th 2006. Eight hundred eighteen adolescent mothers (younger than 20 years old) and 16,996 adult mothers (between 20 to 34 years old) with complete birth information were included for study. Data was analyzed using SPSS PC for Windows v.18.0. Percentage, mean, standard deviation, x2 test, logistic regression and multiple levels logistic regression were used in this study. Results: Six-month-old babies of adolescent mothers had higher outpatient visit rate when compared to babies of adult mothers. The immunization rates of babies exceeded 98 percent. However, hepatitis B immune globulin, oral polio vaccine, inactivated polio vaccine, diphtheria and tetanus toxoid with pertussis vaccine, and haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine (self-paid) immunization rate were significantly lower among the babies of adolescent mothers. The medical utilization rates for the six-month-old children of adolescent and adult mothers were considerably different. The potential factors involved in these differences might include: 1) maternal influences, 2) infancy factors, and 3) parenting factors. In multiple levels logistic regression, after adjusting for covariates, babies of younger mothers and those cared by biological parents at night had higher risk of outpatient and emergency service use. Conclusion: Adolescent pregnancy results in more premature birth and low birth weight. After adjusting for covariates in the multiple variable model, outpatient service utilization rate was higher for the babies of mothers who were younger, who drank during pregnancy, who received fewer prenatal examinations, who were their first birth, who baby cared at night personally. Emergency service utilization rate was higher for the babies of mothers who were younger, who smoked during pregnancy, who gave premature birth, who baby cared at night personally, which had Taiwanese nationality, whose baby was male. Hospitalization rate was higher for the babies of mothers who were younger, who had lower educational level, who gave premature birth, who were their first birth, who baby cared at night personally, whose baby was male. The birth outcomes of adolescent mothers and factors resulting in higher health utilization rate of babies may assist in future medical service and public health planning.