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Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy among the youth is in creasing not only in the Philippines but worldwide. Studies have shown that a short interpregnancy inter val of 18 months or less is associated with an in creased risk of fetal and maternal complications. However, limited data are available regarding fetal and maternal outcomes among pregnant youth with short interpregnancy intervals, particularly in the Philippines. Objectives: The objective of the study was to deter mine the association between a short interpregnancy interval of <18 months and adverse fetomaternal out comes among pregnant youth aged 15 to 24 years who had their first pregnancy at De La Salle Univer sity Medical Center (DLSUMC) from 2017 to 2019. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study in volving 130 participants who delivered at DLSUMC from 2017 to 2019 either by vaginal spontaneous delivery, assisted vaginal delivery, or cesarean sec tion. Results: Of these, 84 (66.15%) were 22 to 24 years old and the majority had their first pregnancy at the age of 18 to 21 years (59 [45.38%]). This study demonstrated that preterm delivery, postpartum hem orrhage, and hypertension were significantly associ ated with a short interpregnancy interval. Conclusions: Short interpregnancy interval is associ ated with an increased risk of preterm delivery, hy pertension, and postpartum hemorrhage among mul tiparous pregnant youth. Counseling and proper edu cation, including family planning, are important for both maternal and fetal health. The use of different family planning methods should be discussed and made accessible to young women.

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