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Babies
born in the U.S. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term
problems in many major areas of life, including school failure,
poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers
themselves are also at risk for these problems.
Teenage
pregnancy is usually a crisis for the pregnant girl and her
family. Common reactions include anger, guilt, and denial.
If the father is young and involved, similar reactions can
occur in his family.
Adolescents
who become pregnant may not seek proper medical care during
their pregnancy, leading to an increased risk for medical
complications. Pregnant teenagers require special understanding,
medical care, and education--particularly about nutrition,
infections, substance abuse, and complications of pregnancy.
They also need to learn that using tobacco, alcohol, and other
drugs, can damage the developing fetus. All pregnant teenagers
should have medical care beginning early in their pregnancy.
Pregnant
teens can have many different emotional reactions:
- some
may not want their babies
- some
may want them for idealized and unrealistic ways
- others
may view the creation of a child as an achievement and not
recognize the serious responsibilities
- some
may keep a child to please another family member
- some
may want a baby to have someone to love, but not recognize
the amount of care the baby needs
- depression
is also common among pregnant teens
- many
do not anticipate that their adorable baby can also be demanding
and sometimes irritating
- some
become overwhelmed by guilt, anxiety, and fears about the
future
- depression
is also common among pregnant teens
There
may be times when the pregnant teenager's emotional reactions
and mental state will require referral to a qualified mental
health professional.
Babies
born to teenagers are at risk for neglect and abuse because
their young mothers are uncertain about their roles and may
be frustrated by the constant demands of caretaking. Adult
parents can help prevent teenage pregnancy through open communication
and by providing guidance to their children about sexuality,
contraception, and the risks and responsibilities of intimate
relationships and pregnancy. Some teenage girls drop out of
school to have their babies and don't return. In this way,
pregnant teens lose the opportunity to learn skills necessary
for employment and self survival as adults. School classes
in family life and sexual education, as well as clinics providing
reproductive information and birth control to young people,
can also help to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
If pregnancy
occurs, teenagers and their families deserve honest and sensitive
counseling about options available to them, from abortion
to adoption. Special support systems, including consultation
with a child and adolescent psychiatrist when needed, should
be available to help the teenager throughout the pregnancy,
the birth, and the decision about whether to keep the infant
or give it up for adoption.
For additional
information see Facts for Families:
#62 Talking to Your Kids About Sex
#4 The Depressed Child
#5 Child Abuse: The Hidden Bruises
#15 The Adopted Child
#66 Helping Teenagers with Stress, and
#30 Children and AIDS.
See also: Your Child (1998 Harper Collins)/Your
Adolescent (1999 Harper Collins).
Article
#31 Updated 1/00
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