The study aimed at determining the reproductive outcomes, caregiving condition, and children’s growth and development compared to those born to adult mothers. All adolescent mothers ages less than 20 years and their first born infants matched with adults mothers aged 20-29 years and their first born infants at the same neighborhoods in Taichung city in 1997 were included in this study. The results showed that there is no significant difference between children of adolescent mothers and of adult mothers in terms of the prevalence of prematurity and congenital diseases, but the children of teenage mothers have a significantly higher prevalence of low birth weight (adjusted odds ratio=1.61, 95% CI=1.21-2.80) than those of compared mothers. Multiple logistic regression was used to find out the risk factors for low birth weight, and found that maternal weight gain and hospitalization or not during pregnancies in mothers are significant risk factors for low birth weight. We can not find difference between the two groups in cargiving condition, such as breast feeding duration, accidental injury, diseases necessitating admission, and vaccination rates. Also there is no difference in the rate of failure to thrive or delayed developmental milestones. A long-term follow-up study on the prognosis for the adolescent mothers and their children is recommended.
