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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.