A Comparison of Low Birth Weight, Perinatal Mortality, and Infant Mortality Between First and Second Births to Women 17 Years Old and Younger

Several studies and vital statistics reports have indicated that second pregnancies in the young adolescent have worse outcomes than first pregnancies. This study compared the birth weights and mortality rates of first and second births to 407 teenagers who were less than or equal to 17 years old at the time of the second delivery. Contrary to previous studies, the mean birth weight was significantly lower for first births than for second births (p = 0.0001), even though patients registered for care earlier with their first pregnancy. The perinatal and infant mortality rates for first births were nearly double the rates for second births.