[Adolescent mothers admitted with their children in a highly complex hospital: differences between early-middle and late adolescence]. / Madres adolescentes internadas junto con sus hijos en un hospital de alta complejidad: diferencias entre la adolescencia temprana-media y tardía.

INTRODUCTION: Teenage pregnancy is highly prevalent. OBJECTIVE: To describe several features of a group of adolescent mothers admitted along with their children in a high complexity pediatric hospital and to explore the difference between those in early-mid and late adolescence. METHODS: Observational, transversal study, through a survey including socio-demographic variables, information about their pregnancy, delivery and their newborns. RESULTS: We included 227 mothers, 100 were aged < 17 years old and 127 were aged from 17 to 19 years and 11 months. Thirty percent of patients younger than 17 and 33% of the other group had preterm children; 12% and 2% respectively had very low weight newborns. Seventy-six (76%) and 77 (61%) mothers respectively were, in turn, daughters of teenage mothers. CONCLUSION: Prematurity was high in both groups. Younger mothers had higher rates of low weight newborns. Repeated intergenerational history of adolescence motherhood was found in two thirds of cases in both groups.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La maternidad adolescente es de alta prevalencia. OBJETIVOS: Describir las características de las madres adolescentes con hijos internados en un hospital pediátrico de alta complejidad y explorar las diferencias entre la adolescencia temprana-media y tardía. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional y transversal en madres de 10 a 19 años y 11 meses. Se utilizó una encuesta con variables sociodemográficas de las madres, datos del embarazo, parto y recién nacido. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 227 madres, 100 < 17 años y 127 > 17 años. En ambos grupos etarios, un 30% y 33% tuvieron hijos prematuros, 12% y 2% tuvieron niños con muy bajo peso de nacimiento, respectivamente. Más de las dos terceras partes de las adolescentes eran hijas de madres adolescentes -76 (76%) vs. 77 (61%)-. CONCLUSIONES: Ambos grupos presentaron alta tasa de prematurez. Las más jóvenes tuvieron más niños con muy bajo peso de nacimiento. La historia intergeneracional de embarazo adolescente se repitió en más de dos tercios de las adolescentes.

[A Recreation Room for adolescents who are hospitalized at a tertiary-care Center: Care Program for Hospitalized Adolescents]. / Sala de Recreación para Adolescentes Internados en un hospital de alta complejidad: Programa para la Atención Integral de Adolescentes Internados.

Hospital admission is a high-impact event in children. Adolescence is a critical and complex period of human development that may be adversely affected by hospitalization. At the Garrahan Hospital, where adolescents account for more than 30% of inpatients, a program for comprehensive care of adolescents was set up in 2008 with a special focus on their specific needs. As a part of this program, the aim of the Recreation Room for Hospitalized Adolescents is to provide a friendly environment to reduce stress and anxiety and to facilitate the learning of healthy behaviors, under the permanent care of nurses and medical doctors. Interventions in health, leisure time, education, and emotional care are effective in diminishing the negative impact of hospitalization and prevent risk behaviors. Our objective was to report our experience in the Recreation Room for Hospitalized Adolescents.