Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Adolescent Mothers Managed in Two Referral Maternity Hospitals in Yaoundé in 2023

Introduction: In Cameroon, adolescents accounted for 23.5% of the population in 2018. The rate of teenage pregnancies was 24% (EDS 2018). The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical profiles of adolescent mothers followed at the Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital and the Central Hospital of Yaoundé. Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional and descriptive method, focusing on girls aged 10 to 19 who gave birth between August 2022 and May 2023. Data were collected from registers and interviews, imported into CSPro software version 7.7, and then extracted and analysed using IBM SPSS software version 23. Results: For the 206 adolescent mothers included, the average age was 18.13 years (±1.17 years), and 2.4% were under 15 years old. They were all financially dependent on their relatives. For 72.3% of the adolescents, the level of education was secondary. Since pregnancy, 62.3% had dropped out of school. They were in a relationship in 73.3% of cases. The Christian religion was the majority (82.5%), and 57.7% of the population lived with their parents. 72.8% of pregnancies were unwanted. 92.7% were primiparous and 7.2% multiparous. 29.1% gave birth to newborns weighing less than 2.5 kg, 31.5% had a caesarean section, 40% of deliveries were premature, 49% had perineal tears. Conclusion: Unplanned pregnancies, dropping out of school, precariousness and maternal and neonatal morbidity are characteristics presented by adolescent mothers.