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.

So what is teenage pregnancy?  Understanding it would also mean knowing about its consequences:

•    Lack of parenting skills and social support system.
•    May live in poverty or become dependent on welfare.
•    High levels of high school dropouts.

Media Hype

When 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears (sister of Britney), announced that she’s pregnant, the magazine containing that story sold over 2 million copies.  And when a film about teenage pregnancy, “Juno,” was released, it garnered unanimous applause from Film Freak Central, Christianity Today, and the New Yorker.

David Landry, Guttmacher Institute’s senior research associate in New York, says “Media is awash in it.”  Just recently, even Grey’s Anatomy had a storyline about teen pregnancy, and so did Gossip Girl.

So what is teenage pregnancy anyway?  How come all of a sudden, it has become so cool to be a pregnant teen?

“Teen pregnancy is now socially accepted as an idea,” says Andrea O’Reilly, director of Association for Research Mothering and professor at Toronto’s York University.

Possible Options

But there’s nothing “cool” about it when teenage pregnancy occurs.  Aside from health risks, there are emotional and psychological risks that the teenage mother should face.

It is best to refer to counselors or psychiatrists to understand deeper what is teenage pregnancy and how parents can’t handle the mental state and emotional reactions of teenage mothers.  Honest counseling about possible options should be available to help her decide whether she’s choosing birth, adoption, or abortion.