Beatriz Elena Parra Sosa

ESTADO NUTRICIONAL MATERNO Y NEONATAL EN UN GRUPO DE ADOLESCENTES DE LA CIUDAD DE MEDELLÍN

INTRODUCTION in developing countries, including Colombia, teen pregnancy is a public health problem. It brings social, health and nutritional consequences for the mother/son binomial. OBJECTIVE to assess demographic, socioeconomic, food security, health and nutritional status characteristics in a group of pregnant teenagers and their newborns. METHODOLOGY a cross sectional analytical study was performed in 294 pregnant teenagers in their third trimester of pregnancy enrolled in the prenatal care programs of the public network of hospitals in Medellin-Colombia between 2011 and 2012. Association between the mothers body mass index, iron nutritional status and newborns weight at birth using explicative variables was assessed. RESULTS monthly incomes under a minimum salary were associated with low mothers weight and newborns small for gestational age. Low gestational weight was higher in pregnant women under 15 years of age and with a gynecological age under five years. The prevalence of anemia was low in the first trimester and increased at the end of pregnancy; 5.6% had adequate iron reserves. Low weight at birth was associated with infections and mothers low weight in the third trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSION teenage pregnancy is a complex problem associated with negative effects in the nutritional, health and social status of the girl and their newborn.