When the mother of a baby has not matured physically, she runs the risk of experiencing many complications during the childbirth process. These complications come in both physical and emotional forms, although the physical problems can cause the most harm to the baby. Babies born to teen mothers have a higher chance of contracting illnesses and having a low birth weight, which can lead to death.
Prenatal Care
Many teenage mothers do not receive the proper prenatal care because they often cannot afford to go to a doctor regularly. As a result, many young mothers become anemic. When provided with low-cost prenatal care, however, many of these problems disappear. Many teen mothers experiment with drugs and alcohol or have suffered from abuse, increasing the chance of complications arising. The mortality rate for babies born to teen mothers remains much higher because the mother cannot nutritionally support this baby inside of her. Maternal mortality remains very high in teen mothers, with a mortality rate almost twice as high as adult mothers.
Nutrition
Since a teenage mother has not reached her full size, she continues to grow throughout the pregnancy. This can cause vitamin deficiencies in the baby, since the mother still needs more of these vitamins than an older woman. Nutrition becomes vital during teen pregnancies, as the mother must eat the right food to provide for herself and the baby. Teen mothers should follow a healthy diet, while taking plenty of vitamin and iron supplements. Physical activity can also help, as long as the mother has doctor supervision.
Placenta Previa
During a pregnancy, the placenta should end up on top of the uterus, which clears the cervix for the delivery of the baby. In many teen pregnancies, however, this does not occur, as the placenta stays in the lower part of the uterus, which covers the opening where the baby would come emerge. The seriousness of placenta previa depends on how much of the cervix it covers. You could see the placenta rest against the cervix without covering, partially covering it or covering it completely.
Premature
Prematurity remains one of the most common complications from teen pregnancy and it can cause a number of birth abnormalities. Premature babies can have a lower than normal birth weight, which can lead to hospital incubation. Things like prenatal trauma also occur more frequently in babies born to teen mothers.
References
- "Teen Pregnancy And Parenting"; Annette Rickel; 1989
- "Surviving Teen Pregnancy: Your Choices, Dreams, and Decisions"; Shirley Arthur; 1996
- MedlinePlus: Adolescent Pregnancy: Possible Complications
