Objective: Identify and correlate characteristics of adolescent mothers in a border city of Mexico with their migratory status. Methods: We surveyed post partum adolescent mothers in the discharge rooms of two public hospitals in Tijuana, Mexico. We assessed obstetric, gynecologic, socioeconomic and neonatal variables. Mothers living fewer than 5 years in the area were designated as 'migrant.' Results: 324 adolescent mothers were identified; 86% had healthy babies; 27% had previous pregnancies; age of onset of sexual activity was 15.5±1.4 years. 115 (36%) were identified as 'migrant,' among whom we found they had interrupted their studies (24% vs. 33%; OR 2.62: CI 95% 1.39-4.94), had a higher incidence of failure to use contraception (74% vs. 62%; OR 1.79: C.I.95% 1.07-3.01) and a lower incidence of prenatal care (28% vs. 38%; OR 1.8: C.I.95% 1.04-3.15). A larger percentage of migrant adolescents already lived with their partner (39% vs. 24%; OR 2.00: C.I.95% 1.21-3.30) and expressed a desire to become pregnant (55% vs. 37%; OR 2.10: C.I.95% 1.31-3.37). The observed association persisted in multivariate analysis. We did not observe differences between other ob-gyn and neonatal variables. Conclusions: Being a female migrant should be considered a risk factor in the reproductive health of adolescent mothers.

Migration Health status Pregnancy Contraceptive behavior Adolescence

evaluation education information processing statistical analysis sexual behavior prenatal care demography nonparametric test Data Interpretation, Statistical Statistics, Nonparametric human sexuality Sexual Partners Confidence Intervals health status Mexico religion Confidence interval Young Adult Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors Multivariate Analysis socioeconomics Contraception newborn questionnaire pregnancy Mothers Pregnancy in Adolescence adolescent pregnancy public hospital Article pregnancy outcome Questionnaires mother adult migration single parent Transients and Migrants Contraception Behavior puerperium Data Collection gynecology obstetrics health survey