Pregnancy among adolescents and the health risks

Teen risks of pregnancy and health for the mother and the baby are unfortunately closely linked. In General, babies born to teenage mothers are at risk more high accidental injury and poisoning, complications of preterm birth, learning and cognitive disorders minor acute infections, sudden infant death. Also, the rate of premature birth and low birth weight are higher among adolescent mothers.

Teen Pregnancy

The health risks and of the adolescent pregnancy go hand in hand for 14 years girls and less due to an underdeveloped basin which can lead to difficulties in the process of childbirth. In industrialized countries, this situation can be resolved with a caesarean section. In developing countries, however, that have high rates of teenage pregnancy, medical services are rare and birthing problems can lead to eclampsia, vesico-vaginal fistula, infant mortality and maternal mortality.

Another reason why the health risks and teen pregnancy are closely associated is due to the lack of knowledge of appropriate behaviour. Pregnant teenagers tend to have very poor eating habits, do not take vitamins and can smoke, drink and do drugs while they are pregnant, and this may lead to their baby to be born with problems of health or be stillborn. Statistics show that adolescents are also less likely to be of sufficient weight before pregnancy, increasing the risk of having a low birth weight baby.

Look at a few statistics about teenage pregnancy among adolescents and the risks to health, in 2002, 9.6% of the 15-19 years old mothers had a low birth weight baby, while only 7.8% of the mothers of any age had babies that weighed less than 5.5 pounds. For pregnant adolescents who are younger, the risk is even greater; 11.3% of the mothers of 15 years had a birth weight baby. These low weight babies may have bodies that are not fully developed, which can lead to things like respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding in the brain, the blindness and intestinal problems.

In addition, the relationship between health risks and pregnancy among adolescent girls is based on the fact that pregnant adolescents often do not receive antenatal care early and ordinary, putting at risk the mother and the baby. In 2002, 6.6% of mothers 15 to 19 years received late or no prenatal care. This is compared to 3.6% of all age groups.

It is even more serious, because a mother teenager is at greater risk of complications of pregnancy, such as high blood pressure and anemia, and these risks are much greater for adolescents under the age of 15 years. Adolescents in this age group are twice as likely to die from the complications of pregnancy such as mothers aged 20 to 24.

12 Million cases each year, $ 3 million are young people affected by sexually transmitted diseases. If the mother is affected by an STD, this can cause serious risks to the health of her child as well. Syphilis can cause the death of the child, in addition to causing blindness and death of the mother. HIV can be fatal to the mother and child.