Acute abdomen in infants of adolescent mothers: Diagnostic challenges

Caring for children of adolescent parents presents unique challenges. Because adolescent parents may lack parenting skills and knowledge of medical terminology, symptoms of life-threatening illnesses may be misinterpreted. We present two cases of unexpected acute abdomen in young infants with adolescent mothers. The first case involves midgut volvulus, which was discovered during a routine newborn visit. The second case, involving pyloric stenosis, presented a clinical management challenge when the adolescent mother refused diagnostic studies.