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Teen mothers are more likely than mothers over age 20 to give birth prematurely (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy). In 2002, the 7,315 girls under age 15 who gave birth were more than twice as likely to deliver prematurely than women ages 30 to 34 (21 vs. 9 percent).2 Babies born too soon face an increased risk of newborn health problems and even death, as well as lasting disabilities.
OK. Fair enough. But why? Is it because of:
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Teens too often have poor eating habits, neglect to take their vitamins, and may smoke, drink alcohol and take drugs, increasing the risk that their babies will be born with health problems.
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Pregnant teens are more likely to smoke than pregnant women over age 25.
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Pregnant teens are least likely of all maternal age groups to get early and regular prenatal care.
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Three million teens are affected by sexually transmitted diseases annually, out of a total of 12 million cases reported. These include chlamydia (which can cause sterility), syphilis (which can cause blindness, maternal death, and death of the infant) and HIV (the virus which causes AIDS, which may be fatal to the mother and infant).
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Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school than girls who delay childbearing.
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With her education cut short, a teenage mother may lack job skills, making it hard for her to find and keep a job. A teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on public assistance.
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Teens may not have good parenting skills, or have the social support systems to help them deal with the stress of raising an infant.
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A child born to an unmarried teenage high school dropout is 10 times as likely as other children to be living in poverty at ages 8 to 12.
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A child born to a teenage mother is 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade in school, and is more likely to perform poorly on standardized tests and drop out before finishing high school.
All of those are preventable without an abortion. This one requires more explanation as to its cause:
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A teenage mother is at greater risk than women over age 20 for pregnancy complications such as premature labor, anemia and high blood pressure.
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Teenage mothers are less likely to gain adequate weight during their pregancy, leading to low birthweight, which is associated with infant and childhood disorders and a high rate of infant mortality.
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Teenage mothers tend to have poor eating habits and are less likely to take recommended daily multivitamins to maintain adequate nutrition during pregnancy. They are also more likely to smoke, drink, or take drugs during pregnancy, which can cause health problems for the baby.
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Teenage mothers are less likely to seek regular prenatal care.
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Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation.
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Children born to teenage mothers are at greater risk for abuse and neglect.
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Boys born to teenage mothers are 13% more likely to be incarcerated.
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Girls born to teenage mothers are 22% more likely to become teenage mothers.
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Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school and only about one-third obtain a high school diploma.
All of those is preventable without an abortion.
NOTE: I am not advocating teen pregnancy. Far from it. But it is also not the end of the world.
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