Teenage pregnancy rates have been declining since 1991. However, from 2005-2006 there were 138,920 teenage girls between 15-17 years old who were pregnant. This figure rose from 133,138 and was published by Federal Interagency Forum (Child and Family Statistics).
A Grave Concern
This 4% increase in teenage pregnancy rates has caused grave concern among health professionals. “In this technology-driven world, young teenagers, especially girls, are always looking for ways to connect with others as well as themselves. One way that they could do that is to have a baby,” says Dr. Keith Ablow, FOX News contributor and psychiatrist.
“We really need very rigorous public health response to counteract this because it’s not pretty. Ultimately, we will have babies nurtured by mothers who can’t provide them with all the things they need – this might be the long-term consequence,” Ablow added. Furthermore, he said “That act is really self-centered. Basically, you’re declaring that it is all about you. And the people acting this way might be our worst role models.”
Low Birth Weight
The report also showed that low-birth weight is on the rise in the U.S. You very well know that babies who are born below 5 pounds and 8 ounces have a high risk of health problems and developmental delays.