A small number of poor quality studies have examined the
outcome of specialist teenage antenatal services. Results from
these are contradictory. Some show that antenatal care in schools
improves earlier booking and attendance whilst others show that
a hospital setting improves attendance. Some studies compare
routine GP focussed care and specialist obstetric adolescent care.
Again, there is no strong evidence to recommend hospital care,
but the benefit of providing continuity of care through a specialist
services is recognized. In a questionnaire-based study looking at
teenagers’ attitudes to their antenatal care, those who described
their care as adequate were more likely to have used specialist
teenage antenatal clinics. Compared with routine community
midwifery care, teenagers who have received antenatal care from
a specialist midwife were more likely to have received information
and advice on sexual health screening, income support,
maternity grants and benefits. With regards to pregnancy
outcome, there is little evidence that specialist care has a positive
effect but the studies conducted in this area are poor.