Teenagers have healthy bodies, energetic lifestyles, and high fertility rates. However, they are not physically and emotionally ready to be pregnant yet. And if you are wondering what is teenage pregnancy, it simply means that a 13-19 year old girl is pregnant, and her pregnancy is generally unplanned or based on societal pressures only.
In the U.S., teen pregnancy rates remain higher compared to other developed nations. The figures speak for it – nearly 12% of all births in the country are teenage births.
Consequences
The health of the teenage mother will also pass on to the baby. Medical practitioners notice that teenage pregnancy often lead to low birth weight, therefore producing light-weight babies.
If the teen is smoking, it would even increase the risk of complications such as premature birth, still birth, and even miscarriage. Other problems may include premature labor, high blood pressure, or anemia.
Complications are not only for the teenage mother, but there’s a chance for it to show up in the baby too. Aside from low birth weight, infant problems such as vision loss, respiratory distress, and underdeveloped organs also occur.