Adolescent-Specific Prenatal Clinics Effectiveness in Improving Birth Outcomes; A Systematic Review

Aims: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, and perinatal death. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of prenatal clinics for adolescents in improving birth outcomes. Information Methods: In this systematic review, electronic databases, including Scopus, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and grey literature databases were searched with keywords related to mesh for published studies from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2022, in English language. Inclusion criteria included clinical trials and cohort studies focused on prenatal care in adolescent pregnant women with at least one perinatal outcome. Evaluation of the quality of the studies was done using the GATE tool. Findings: Out of 3261 studies found in the database, 8 studies were included in this systematic review. All included studies were cohorts (retrospective, prospective, and mixed). These studies investigated the effectiveness of clinics for adolescents on outcomes such as premature birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, instrumental delivery, cesarean delivery, and perinatal mortality. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries. 7 of the 8 studies (87.5%) report preterm birth as an outcome. Overall, 57.14% of studies showed an association between adolescent-specific prenatal clinic use and decreased preterm birth. Conclusion: The effectiveness of adolescent-specific prenatal clinics in improving birth outcomes is uncertain.