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Teenage pregnancy is one of the most critical issues facing America today. The explosion of out-of-wedlock teen births is a crisis that threatens to undermine our nation. Each year, one million American teenagers become pregnant. 175,000 give birth to their first child. As a result, the United States now has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western World.
The costs of teen pregnancy are staggering. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school, less likely to get married, and more likely to go on welfare than their peers. And the odds are stacked against the children of teen parents from the minute they are born. Their health is poorer, their cognitive development is slower, and their behavioral problems are worse than their peers. Teen pregnancy robs teens of their childhood and their futures as productive adults. It also robs their children, and their children's children.
The costs of teen pregnancy are staggering. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school, less likely to get married, and more likely to go on welfare than their peers. And the odds are stacked against the children of teen parents from the minute they are born. Their health is poorer, their cognitive development is slower, and their behavioral problems are worse than their peers. Teen pregnancy robs teens of their childhood and their futures as productive adults. It also robs their children, and their children's children.
The teen pregnancy crisis costs taxpayers an estimated $6.9 billion in lost tax revenues and increased spending on public assistance, health care, foster care and the criminal justice system. As a nation, we can no longer afford the consequences of teen pregnancy.
Teenage Pregnancy, Facts you should know
Statistics can be boring. But the Statistics on teenage pregnancy are alarming
* Some 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all U.S. births are to teenage women.
* Babies born to young teen mothers have a higher risk of serious health problems.
* Physical and mental birth defects affect many babies born to very young women. The high rate of teenagers having babies is a national health and social problem that demands attention.
Health Risks to the Teenage Mother
The teenage mother has special problems, physically and emotionally.
* The death rate from pregnancy complications is much higher among girls who give birth under age 15 than among older mothers.
* The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor.
* During the first three months of pregnancy; seven out of ten pregnant teenagers do not see a doctor or go to a clinic.
* Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems.
Health Risks to the Baby
The baby growing inside a mother is in a most dependent, and often risky, place. Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem. Babies born to teenagers often are born too small, too soon. Low birth weight babies may have the following:
* Immature organ systems (brain, lungs, heart).
* Difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels.
* Mental retardation.
* A risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than among normal weight babies (5 1/2 pounds or more).
Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy
The future does not often hold great promise for a teenage mother and her child.
* Two out of three pregnant teenagers drop out of school.
* With her education cut short, the teenage mother may lack job skills. The income of teen mothers is half that of those who first gave birth in their 20s. The teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on welfare.
* Teenage marriages have a much greater chance of ending in divorce.
If you are pregnant, you can increase your chances of having a healthy baby:
- Get regular prenatal care from your doctor or clinic.
- Eat properly.
- Stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol.
- Don't take any drugs unless prescribed by your doctor.
This health information is not intended to replace the advice of a physician. We are concerned that decisions to have children are made responsibly, and that all prospective parents know the facts involved in having a healthy baby. If you are not ready to have a child and raise that child, please use Condom Protection.
statistic sources:
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Whatever
Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the
United States. Washington, DC: Author.
Analysis of Henshaw, S.K., U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics
New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute, May, 1996; and Forest, J.D.,
Proportion of U.S. Women Ever Pregnant Before Age 20, New York:
Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1986, unpublished
Maynard, R.A., (Ed.). (1996). Kids Having Kids: A Robin Hood
Foundation Special Report on the Costs of Adolescent Childbearing,
New York: Robin Hood Foundation.
Wolfe, B., & Perozek, M. (1997). Teen Children's Health and Health
Care Use. In R.A. Maynard (Ed..), Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs
and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy,(pp. 181-203).
Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press.
George, R.M., & Lee, B.J. (1997). Abuse and Neglect of Children.
In R.A. Maynard (Ed.), Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and
Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy (pp. 205-230).
Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
6525 Belcrest Road
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782-2003
nchsquery@cdc.gov
(301) 436-8500
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