Teenage Pregnancy

Pregnancy can only bring happiness to a woman if it happens at the right time of her life. When a girl is young, she has a lot of dreams for herself and a bright future ahead. Pregnancy at this age only comes as an interruption. Moreover, the stress of pregnancy, revelation of pregnancy to parents, and the shame and worry can be nerve-racking. Here are some of the problems of teen pregnancy:

Health problems:
There are several health risks to the baby and the young mother. Pregnant teens are at greater risk of health problems, such as, hypertension, renal disease and depressive disorders. Moreover, there is a risk of pre mature labor and increased complications.

Economic consequences:
Bringing up a child may curtail education and thereby reduce a girls employment prospects in a job market that requires proper education. Teenagers, who give birth, particularly at ages 15 to 17, are likely to be single. Consequently, most teenage mothers lack a partner to contribute to the household income. This makes the standard of living very low and a possibility of living below poverty line.

Lack of prenatal care:
Because the body of a teen is still in the growing stage she will need more nutritional support to meet both her needs and that of her baby. Nutritional counseling can be a large portion of prenatal care, usually done by a doctor or a nutritionist. Lack of proper prenatal care and nutrition can lead to serious problems like anemia (low iron), low weight gain, etc.

Smoking and alcohol:
Habits like drinking and smoking in pregnant mothers can really complicate pregnancy even further. It’s because these girls are so young they do not realize the effects of the consumption of these substances on the baby. The baby could be born with several problems such as—brain damage, physical disabilities and other serious health troubles.