TEEN PREGNANCY
*What is teen pregnancy? * Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a woman 19 years of age or younger. A woman can get pregnant if she has vaginal sex with a man at any age after she’s begun having regular monthly periods – which includes her teen years! A teenage pregnancy can change the course of a young mom’s life. It puts her in a place where she’s responsible not only for herself, but also for another human being.
_How teen pregnancy affects the mother _
Physical impact
Teens are at a higher risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure (preeclampsia) and its complications than average-age mothers. Preeclampsia can also harm the kidneys or even be fatal for mother or baby.
Pregnant teens also have a higher chance of becoming anaemic. Anaemia is a reduction in the number of red blood cells. This can make you feel weak and tired and can affect your baby’s development.
Although modern medicine has made giving birth safer than ever, childbirth is still more dangerous for a teen than for a woman 20 or older. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), complications during pregnancy or childbirth are the leading cause of death globally for girls ages 15 to 19.
After giving birth, teenage mothers may neglect their physical health while caring for their babies. They may also not have access to or know about healthy foods and eating.
Psychological impact
If you get pregnant as a teen, you might feel frightened and worried about telling your family and friends. Not talking to someone and not getting the help and support you need can make you feel more isolated and depressed. This can lead to problems at home and at school.
Teenagers who give birth are at greater risk for mental health concerns than older moms. Being a new mom at any age isn’t easy, and especially so if you’re a teenager. Becoming a mom not only creates physical changes; women also go through mental changes.
Teen moms, already stressed by their challenging circumstances, face added stress from:
sleepless nights
arranging childcare
making doctor’s appointments
attempting to finish high school
Teen moms might face a number of mental health conditions related to childbirth and being a new mom. Examples of these conditions include:
Baby blues are when a woman experiences symptoms for one to two weeks after giving birth. These symptoms include mood swings, anxiety, sadness, feeling overwhelmed, difficulty concentrating, trouble eating and difficulty sleeping.
Postpartum depression involves more severe and significant symptoms than baby blues. Teen moms are twice as likely to experience postpartum depression as their adult counterparts. Women sometimes mistake postpartum depression for the baby blues. Baby blues symptoms will go away after a few weeks. Depression symptoms won’t.
Additional symptoms of postpartum depression include:
difficulty bonding with your baby • overwhelming fatigue
feeling worthless
anxiety
panic attacks
thinking of harming yourself or your baby
difficulty enjoying activities you once did
How teen pregnancy affects the baby
Physical impact
Teen mothers are more likely to give birth to premature babies. A healthy pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. A baby that’s delivered before 37 weeks of pregnancy is premature. Sometimes, these prem babies lack complete development in their bodies and brains. Depending on how premature the baby is, this can lead to lifelong difficulties with health and development.
Premature babies also tend to be underweight. Underweight babies might have trouble breathing and feeding as infants. Adults who were underweight as babies are more susceptible to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Low birth weight also affects brain development. Children who were born underweight have been observed to have learning difficulties.
In addition to having an increased risk of being underweight, infants born to teenage mothers are also at a higher risk of infant mortality.
Lifelong effects on the child
Children born to adolescent parents face greater challenges throughout their lives. These challenges include getting less education and worse behavioural and physical health outcomes like:
less prepared to enter kindergarten
rely more heavily on publicly funded health care
are more likely to be incarcerated at some time during adolescence
are more likely to drop out of high school
are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed as a young adult
These effects can create a perpetual cycle for teenage mothers, their children, and their children’s children.
_How teen pregnancy affects the father _
Fathering a child as a teenager can be a frightening and life-changing event. Even though teen fathers don’t have to worry about the health implications of pregnancy and childbirth, they could face similar difficulties staying in school and earning a living as the teen moms do.
Country laws vary on the legal age for people to have sexual intercourse. Arrest or legal action against sexually active teens can have devastating effects. A young man may be required to register as a sex offender if he has reached the legal age (age 18 in some countries) and his partner has not (age 17 or under).
_Financial consequences of teen pregnancy _
Many pregnant teens drop out of school, and some never complete their education. That means a lot of mothers who get pregnant as teenagers live in poverty. Women who first get pregnant as teens are more likely to have more than one child. About one in five births to a teen mother is a repeat birth. A woman with little education and multiple children to care for will find it very difficult to earn a living.
Teenage moms are more likely to have positive mental health and financial outcomes when they finish high school. Some high schools will make arrangements with a teen mom to help her finish her education. While finishing school can be an extra stressor, it’s important for the future of a teen mom and her baby.
_How can teen pregnancy be prevented? _ The only way to be sure you won’t get pregnant is to not have sexual intercourse.
Many communities offer counselling and support programmes that help prevent teen pregnancy. These groups can provide information on birth control and help teens understand their sexual limits so they don’t get into situations where they might have.
What to do if you’re a pregnant teen
If you’re a teenager and a parent, there are ways to help yourself and your child. Getting support from your family, friends, adult role models and services in the community can help you cope with being a young parent:
See if there’s a way you can finish school if you haven’t already. This might mean studying at night while a partner, friend, or parent minds your child. In the long run, having an education will help with your chances of finding a job, and studying can help you to feel less lonely.
If you can stay with your parents while your child is young, this may help you deal with the pressures of caring for your child or coping financially. Your parents might also be able to give you some support when you need it, and even share some tips from when you were a baby.
If you’re on your own or living away from your family, find out what sorts of government financial support you can get to help with living expenses and rent.
Find out about support groups for teen parents. These sorts of groups can provide emotional support as well as information on child development and health care.
See if your local clinic can put you in touch with a counselling service. Counselling can help parents with their own issues as well as those associated with being a parent at a young age.
Speak to different experts that you come in contact with – such as your doctor, or a clinic nurse – to learn about creating the best home environment for your child. They can also help you learn about topics such as nutrition, health, and emotional development.