This study examined the effect of maternal age on birth outcomes among
young adolescents, ages 10 through 15. All records representing singl
e births of primipara, Black or White adolescents, were selected for a
nalysis from the 1983-1986 National Center for Health Statistics' Publ
ic Use Linked Live Birth-Infant Death Data File (n=127,668). Logistic
regression analyses controlled for effects of maternal race, marital s
tatus, prenatal care, gravidity, education, and metropolitan/nonmetrop
olitan residency. Univariate analyses indicated that the youngest adol
escents were at greatest risk for negative birth outcomes including ve
ry preterm and preterm delivery, low birth weight, small for gestation
al age (SGA), and neonatal mortality. Logistic analyses showed similar
results, with the exception that differences in SGA were insignifican
t. This study indicates the importance of examining age-specific birth
outcomes among a population that has traditionally been studied in ag
gregate and underscores the need for increased prevention efforts.