The March of Dimes defines teenagers as less than twenty years old. Teen pregnancy can result in many health complications for both the mother and her baby. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2006 there were 435,436 babies born to women ages 15 to 19 in the United States. The CDC reports that Hispanic women and African American women present a high risk of becoming teenage mothers.
Premature Birth
Premature birth means that the mother gave birth to the baby before the fetal age of 37 weeks, according to the March of Dimes. Premature babies can have health complications that can affect them immediately and as they get older. Teenagers smoke than older women, which can result in premature birth and a low birth weight. According to the March of Dimes, between 2003 and 2005 premature birth averaged 14.5% for teenage women, compared to 11.9% for women 20 to 29 years old.
Low Birth Weight
The Baby Center defines low birth weight as weighing less than 5.5 pounds. Low birth weights in babies normally occur with premature babies, because the earlier birth occurs the less the baby will weigh. The March of Dimes reports that in 2006 10% of babies born to mothers' ages 15 to 19 had low birth weights compared to 8.3% of mothers of all ages. Babies born with a low birth rate may not have fully developed organs. When a baby's organs have not developed fully, this can result in respiratory distress syndrome, vision loss, intestinal problems and bleeding on the brain.
Death
Babies born weighing less than 3 1/3 pounds are 100 times more likely to die than normal weight babies, according to the March of Dimes. Babies weighing 3 1/3 to 5 ½ are five times more likely to die within their first year of life compared to normal weight babies. The March of Dimes reports that in 2005 16.5 out of 1,000 babies born to girls under the age of fifteen died. This is compared with 6.8 deaths out of 1,000 babies born to women of all ages. The American Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Institute reports that babies born to teenage moms present a higher risk of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) than older moms who are older.
