Risks of Teen Pregnancies
June 14, 2008
Despite the fact that the teen birth rate is slowly falling, there are still an estimated one million teen pregnancies in the United States alone. About 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned, which in any population may increase the risk for problems.
The biggest risk for teenage mothers is delaying prenatal care or worse, 7.2% received no care at all. The costs of teen pregnancy are staggering and teenage mothers are less likely to complete high school, less likely to get married, and more likely to go on welfare than their peers. And the odds are stacked against the children of teen parents from the minute they are born. According to the American Medical Association, babies born to women who do not have regular prenatal care are 4 times more likely to die before the age of 1 year.
The risks of teen pregnancy include that such teenagers’ health is poorer, their cognitive development is slower, and their behavioral problems are worse than their peers. Teen pregnancy robs teens of their childhood and their futures as productive adults. It also robs their children, and their children’s children. During the first three months of pregnancy; seven out of ten pregnant teenagers do not see a doctor or go to a clinic. Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems.
The death rate from pregnancy complications is much higher among girls who give birth under age 15 than among older mothers. The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor and with the proper nutrition, early prenatal care and good screening for potential problems the majority of these potential problems will not come to light. While some tend to think that you may not teach a teenage mother anything about her body or baby, it’s really a ridiculous notion.
Many of the teenage mothers who take active roles in their care do go on to have healthy babies, despite the other hardships that they will face in their lives. Teenage mothers are less likely to seek regular prenatal care and prenatal care is essential for monitoring the growth of the fetus; keeping the mother’s weight in check; and advising the mother on nutrition and how she should take care of herself to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Not only is the mother, the baby also at risks of many health ailments. The baby growing inside a mother is in a most dependent, and often risky, place. Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem. Babies born to teenagers often are born too small, too soon. Low birth weight babies may have the following:
· Immature organ systems (brain, lungs, heart).
· Difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels.
· Mental retardation.
· A risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than among normal weight babies (5 1/2 pounds or more).
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