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document
A randomized trial of a health care program for first-time adolescent mothers and their infants . To test the effectiveness of a special health care program for adolescent mothers ( 17 years old or younger ) and their infants , 243 mother-infant pairs were randomly assigned to one of two groups . All of the mothers were unwed , on Medicaid , and black . The control group received routine well-baby care . The experimental group received routine care and services that included rigorous follow-up , discussions with the mother about her plans for return to school and use of family planning methods , and extra health teaching . The dropout rate in the experimental group ( 60 % ) was significantly less after 18 months than the control group ( 82 % ) . In spite of the high dropout rate , 91 % of the mothers were located for the 18 month follow-up interview . The repeat pregnancy rate in the experimental group was 12 % after 18 months , and 28 % in the control group . There was no significant difference in the percentage returning to school . After 12 months , the infants in the experimental group were more likely to be fully immunized ( 33 % ) than the infants in the control group ( 18 % ) . Mothers in the special care program who continued to attend clinic used the emergency room less than the mothers who continued to attend in the control group . These results suggest that a comprehensive health care program is one way to bring about better outcomes for both adolescent mothers and their infants .
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Intervention_Educational
health care program for first-time adolescent mothers and their infants
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Intervention_Educational
special health care program
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Intervention_Educational
control group received routine well-baby care
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Intervention_Educational
routine care and services that included rigorous follow-up
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Intervention_Educational
discussions with the mother about her plans for return to school and use of family planning methods
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Intervention_Educational
extra health teaching
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Intervention_Educational
special care program
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Intervention_Educational
comprehensive health care program
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Outcome_Physical
repeat pregnancy rate
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Outcome_Mental
percentage returning to school
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Outcome_Physical
fully immunized
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Outcome_Other
used the emergency room less
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Participant_Condition
first-time
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Participant_Age
adolescent
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Participant_Condition
and their
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Participant_Age
infants
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Participant_Age
adolescent
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Participant_Sex
mothers
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Participant_Age
( 17 years old or younger ) and their infants ,
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Participant_Sample-size
243
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Participant_Condition
were randomly assigned