Nearly 440,000 teenagers gave birth in the United States in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy-eight percent of these pregnancies were unplanned. Although teenage pregnancy rates have declined in recent years, they are still considerably higher than those in other developed countries. Teenage pregnancy poses considerable risks for both the mother and the baby, and some of these complications may not become evident until years after the baby is born.
Risks for the Mother
The March of Dimes says that teenagers are at a heightened risk of developing several medical conditions during pregnancy. Because of poor diet, more teenagers than adult women suffer from anemia during pregnancy and fail to gain sufficient weight. High blood pressure caused by pregnancy is also more common in this age group. Placental abruption and maternal renal failure are frequent among teenage mothers. Depression, as well, is commonly reported among teen mothers, Dr. Beth Barnet and colleagues wrote in a study published in the "Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine" Journal in March 2008.
Risks for the Fetus
Teenage mothers often don't get the prenatal care needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy, says the March of Dimes. Frequently, they fail to take prenatal vitamins and do not have healthy diets for pregnancy. Substance abuse is also more common among teen mothers than older women. These factors might explain at least partly why babies born to teenage mothers are frequently premature and small, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Substance abuse can also cause birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in the babies of teenage mothers.
Risks After the Birth
Even after the baby has been born, the complications continue. Children born to teen mothers are more likely to die before they are a year old, says the March of Dimes. They are at heightened risk of getting hospitalized and have more chronic medical conditions than babies born to adult women, says the Centers for Disease Control. Teenage mothers often neglect to have their babies immunized. Teenage pregnancy also puts the child at a risk of develoiping learning disabilities, says the University of Michigan.
Social Risks
Getting pregnant as a teenager puts a woman at risk for social isolation, Dr. Barnet and her colleagues reported in the "Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine." The father of the child, friends and relatives may not offer much support, and often the young mother is ill prepared for her new role.
Financial Risks
Having a child at a young age means the mother may not get the education she needs to have employment that pays well, says the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The education of a teenage mother is about two years shy of the education obtained by a woman who gives birth as an adult, says the Guttmacher Institute of New York. Thus, the teenage mother is much more likely to experience poverty and to need government assistance.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing Teen Pregnancy
- March of Dimes: Teenage Pregnancy
- Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine: Depressive Symptoms and Rapid Subsequent Pregnancy in Adolescent Mothers
- Western Michigan University: Teen Pregnancy and Parenting
- The Guttmacher Institute: The Effects of Early Childbearing On Schooling over Time
