Health Risks To Teen Mothers & Their Baby

All women face challenges, both mental and physical, during pregnancy. Those challenges are even greater for teen mothers. Due largely to social stigmas and lack of information about pregnancy, teens are more likely than older mothers to receive inadequate prenatal care and engage in behaviors that may be risky for their health and the health of their baby.

Poor Prenatal Care

Teen mothers are less likely than older mothers to obtain adequate prenatal care. Because of denial, lack of time, lack of family support or lack of knowledge of the importance of prenatal care, many teens do not see their doctors for regular prenatal visits as recommended. These visits are vital to the health of the mother and the baby. Monthly weight checks ensure that the mother is gaining weight appropriately. Blood tests screen for various diseases including gestational diabetes. Physical exams and blood pressure checks screen for the development of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening elevation of blood pressure. Simply having access to a doctor to discuss any questions or symptoms can have positive effects. Untreated health conditions in the mother can lead to poor fetal growth, birth defects, preterm delivery, and even miscarriage or stillbirth.

Poor Diet

Some women consider pregnancy to be a time to eat anything they want. In reality, a pregnant woman needs to eat only about 300 extra calories per day, according to the March of Dimes. Eating too much and eating unhealthy foods can result in obesity, which is a risk factor for various complications including high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and overgrowth of the baby. The health risks for the baby extend beyond the prenatal period, too; children of obese mothers are more than twice as likely as those of non-obese mothers to develop type II diabetes and have weight problems of their own later in life.
Other women, particularly body-conscious teens, become alarmed by their expanding waistline during pregnancy and try to fend off weight gain by dieting. Some might use diet pills which carry their own risks for possible adverse effects. Obstetricians, however, strongly recommend against weight loss during pregnancy because it may deprive the fetus and mother of much-needed nutrients.

Less Breast Feeding

The World Health Organization, among other groups, recommends exclusive breast feeding for infants during the first six months of their lives. Breastfeeding provides a myriad health benefits for the baby, including protection against gastrointestinal infections and irritation, allergic reactions, and long-term problems such as obesity. Breast feeding also benefits the mother by helping the uterus return to normal size and preventing postpartum hemorrhage, burning extra calories to help the mother lose weight, and fostering emotional closeness to the baby. According to an article published in 2007 in the journal "Birth," adolescent mothers and mothers who receive less prenatal care are less likely than older mothers to breast feed their infants. Health education programs aimed at teens encourage breast feeding to help improve both mothers' and babies' well-being.