Young maternal age is a risk factor for child undernutrition in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana.

Children of teenage mothers, compared to those of adult mothers, were 8 times more likely to be stunted [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 7.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.20-13.63], 3 times more likely to be wasted (AOR = 2.90; 95% CI 1.04-8.04), and 13 times more likely to be underweight (AOR = 12.78; 95% CI 4.69-34.81) after adjusting for potential confounders. The risk of child malnutrition increases with young maternal age; interventions should be targeted at teenage mothers and their children to reduce the risk of malnutrition.