Experience with an adolescent pregnancy program. A preliminary report
Youngs, D.D.; Niebyl, J.R.; Blake, D.A.; Shipp, D.A.; Stanley, J.; King, T.M.
Obstetrics and Gynecology 50(2): 212-216
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-7844 PMID: 876561 Document Number: 111619
A program has been designed to give comprehensive health care services to pregnant adolescents. The program components include community liason, patient education, counseling and social services, a nurse "on call" program for labor and delivery, and pediatric nurse-practitioner followup. In addition, a drug use identification component screens the patients by interview and urinalysis. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occurred in 10% of the first 202 patients. Forty-three percent had anemia (hematocrit less than 35%), and screening cervical cultures for gonorrhea were positive in 3.5%. Cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana constituted the most common nonmedical drugs used, and aspirin the most common medical drug. Eighty-one percent of the patients attended 7 or more antenatal visits, one-half did not miss a single clinic appointment, and 95% completed a post-partum visit, indicating that the program was well accepted by the adolescents.