Teenage pregnancy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teenage pregnancy is formally defined as a pregnancy in a young woman who has not reached her 20th
birthday when the pregnancy ends, regardless of whether the woman is married or is legally an adult (age 14 to
21, depending on the country). In everyday speech, the speaker is usually referring to unmarried minors who
become pregnant unintentionally.

The average age of menarche (first menstrual period) is 12 years old, though this figure varies by ethnicity,
[1]
 and ovulation occurs only irregularly before this. Whether fertility leads to early pregnancy depends on a
number of factors, both societal and personal. Worldwide, rates of teenage pregnancy range from 143 per 1000
in some sub-Saharan African countries to 2.9 per 1000 in South Korea. [2][3]

Pregnant teenagers face many of the same obstetrics issues as women in their 20s and 30s. However, there
are additional medical concerns for younger mothers, particularly those under fifteen and those living in
developing countries.[4] For mothers between 15 and 19, age in itself is not a risk factor, but additional risks
may be associated with socioeconomic factors. [5]

In developed countries, teenage pregnancies are associated with many social issues, including
lower educational levels, higher rates ofpoverty, and other poorer "life outcomes" in children of teenage
mothers. Teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage, and carries a social
stigma in many communities and cultures. Many studies and campaigns have attempted to uncover the causes
and limit the numbers of teenage pregnancies. [6] In other countries and cultures, particularly in the developing
world, teenage pregnancy is usually within marriage and does not involve a social stigma.
[7]
 Among OECD developed countries, the United States and New Zealand have the highest level of teenage
pregnancy, while Japan and South Korea have the lowest.[8]
Teen pregnancies are still the norm in much of the developing world. Each child born to a young girl
normally is considered a blessing. 
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 can increase the risk for problems. The biggest risk for teen mothers is delaying prenatal
care or worse, 7.2% received no care at all.

The reason for lack of prenatal care is usually delayed pregnancy testing, denial or even fear of telling
others about the pregnancy. Most states have a health department or University clinic where prenatal
care is free or low cost and patient confidentiality is very important, meaning no one can tell the teen
mother's family.

Teenage mothers are less likely to gain adequate weight during their pregnancy,
leading to Low Birth weight which is associated with infant and childhood disorders
and a high rate of infant mortality. Low-birth weight babies are more likely to have
organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications such as
bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems.
Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health
care, and cognitive and social stimulation. As a result, they may have an
underdeveloped intellect and attain lower academic achievement.

Effects

Effects of teen pregnancies on the children involved. These children are far more
likely to grow up in poverty, to have more health problems, to suffer from higher
rates of abuse and neglect, to fail in school, to become teen mothers, to commit
delinquent acts and adult crimes, and to incur failed adult marriages and other
relationships. 

The burdens of early childbearing on disadvantaged teens are undeniable. Trying to

untangle the factors which contribute to teenage pregnancy from its effects,
however, leads to a "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" dilemma.
Educational failure, poverty, unemployment and low self-esteem are understood to
be negative outcomes of early childbearing. These circumstances also contribute to
the likelihood of teen pregnancy. 

In general, teen mothers have much lower levels of educational attainment than
other women, which severely limit their career options and sharply increase their
likelihood of economic dependency. Only 70% of teen mothers complete high school
or earn a GED, and far fewer
Risk Factors. Although it is not inevitable, some life circumstances place girls at
higher risk of becoming teen mothers. These include poverty, poor school
performance, growing up in a single parent household, having a mother who was an
adolescent mother, or having a sister who has become pregnant.

Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue because of their observed
negative effects on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity. The association of
young maternal age and long-term morbidity is usually confounded, however, by the
high prevalence of poverty, low level of education, and single marital status among
teenage mothers.

Children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain

special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education
problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are
controlled, the detrimental effects disappear and even some protective effects are
observed.