Trends and birth outcomes in adolescent refugees and migrants on the Thailand-Myanmar border, 1986-2016: an observational study

<strong>Background</strong> Currently there are more adolescents (10-19 years old) and young adults (20-24 years old) than ever. Reproductive health among this age group is often overlooked, although it can have a profound impact on the future. This is especially the case in conflict zo...

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Príomhchruthaitheoirí: Parker, A, Parker, D, Zan, B, Min, A, Gilder, M, Ringringulu, M, Win, E, Wiladphaingern, J, Charunwatthana, P, Nosten, F, Lee, S, McGready, R
Formáid: Journal article
Foilsithe / Cruthaithe: Wellcome Trust 2018
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Achoimre:<strong>Background</strong> Currently there are more adolescents (10-19 years old) and young adults (20-24 years old) than ever. Reproductive health among this age group is often overlooked, although it can have a profound impact on the future. This is especially the case in conflict zones and refugee settings, where there is a heightened need for reproductive health care, and where both the resources and possibility for data collation are usually limited. <strong>Methods</strong> Here we report on pregnancies, birth outcomes and risk factors for repeat pregnancies among adolescent and young adult refugees and migrants from antenatal clinics on the Thailand-Myanmar border across a 30 year time span. <strong>Results</strong> Pregnancy and fertility rates were persistently high. Compared with 20-24-year-olds, 15-19-year-olds who reported being unable to read had 2.35 (CI: 1.97 – 2.81) times the odds for repeat pregnancy (gravidity &gt;2). In primigravidae, the proportion of small for gestational age (SGA) and preterm births (PTB), and neonatal deaths (NND) decreased with increasing maternal age (all p &lt;0.001). After adjustment, this association retained significance for PTB (cut-off point, ≤18 years) but not for SGA and NND. <strong>Conclusions</strong> There is considerable room for improvement in adolescent pregnancy rates in these border populations, and educational opportunities may play a key role in effective interventions.