Teen mothers face health risks during and after pregnancy.
Whether a baby is planned or not, teen mothers face a number of health risks during and after pregnancy. The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the Western world with about 1 million American teenagers becoming pregnant every year. Before you, a friend, or family member thinks about having a baby, make sure they are aware of the health risks.
Depression
In many cases teenage mothers feel concerned about letting their parents know that they're pregnant and hide it as long as possible. If they don't have support from friends and family they can become depressed, leading to them eating poorly, drinking excessive amount of alcohol, smoking cigarettes or drug abuse.
Birth Problems
Mothers under the age of 15 are more likely to suffer from pregnancy complications which cause damage to themselves, and an increased death risk for the baby. They can't gain the necessary weight during pregnancy which leads to poor growth and low child birth weight. Low-birth weight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed leading to problems such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome and intestinal problems.
Care
Teen mothers are less likely to receive sufficient prenatal care which is essential for monitoring the growth of the fetus and the health of the mother. Prenatal care ensures that both the mother and baby are well and that there are no medical problems. Without sufficient care after birth, teen mothers may need to push themselves harder and return to work earlier than older mothers.
Illness
There is an increased likelihood of having high blood pressure, called pregnancy-induced hypertension, than pregnant women in their 20s or 30s. Teens are also more likely to suffer from preeclampsia, a condition that causes organ damage and swelling of the hands and face, as well as excess protein in the urine. They're at greater risk because of typically poorer diets and an insufficient amount of healthy calories.
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