Teen Pregnancy

Health

Fewer teenage pregnancies in the United States, 34 percent in 2002, are ending in abortion than in previous decades. Thus, more teenage pregnancies now end in teenage parenthood. There are mixed medical opinions as to whether being a teenage mother alone creates health problems for the mother and child. Premature birth, low birth weight, and risk of death following pregnancy are more common in teenage mothers worldwide. However, many medical experts believe this is attributable to pregnant teenagers being far less likely to receive medical care and proper nutrition. While this is a problem in the United States, it is an even greater problem in developing countries. Most health problems that teenage mothers and their children experience worldwide are due to lack of access to high-quality health care and socioeconomic factors.

Social

Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school. However, recent studies have found that a majority dropped out prior to becoming pregnant, once again raising the question of whether negative outcomes can be directly attributed to teenage pregnancy and not to social conditions like poverty. After all, teenage mothers are also more likely to be impoverished, less likely to be employed, and more likely to apply for welfare or other government assistance programs. Children of teenage parents have been shown overall to do more poorly in school than children whose parents are older. They have also been found to have higher rates of behavioral and developmental problems. Some attribute this to a lack of parenting skills and knowledge on behalf of young parents, not solely the age of the mother.

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