Severe hypertensive syndrome – descriptive study with adolescents attended at a maternity school

Abstract

This is an exploratory and descriptive study with the objective of analyzing the clinical and obstetric data related to the severe hypertensive disorders in adolescents assisted at a maternity school of Recife. The population was consisted of 186 pregnant adolescents with severe preeclampsia and/or eclampsia between 2003 and 2008. The age ranged between 15 and 19 years; they were black, single and had low education. Most of them were primiparas but the pregnancy recurrence was configured at 16% of cases. They did six or more prenatal consultations. The pregnancy progressed to term and the most frequent type of delivery was cesarean section. The comorbidities identified were changes in amniotic fluid volume, hemorrhages and infections. There were also identified cases of intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, jaundice, hypoxia and low birth weight. It was concluded that teenage pregnancy associated with severe hypertensive syndrome is related to severe maternal, fetal and neonatal complications.