Teenage Parenting
... They might further delay finishing high school, putting them at greater risk of being slotted into low-wage jobs or of facing prolonged unemployment, poverty, and welfare (AGI, 1994). For many teens, those risks are already high, and childbirth merely propels them further along a well-traveled path. That's because teens who give birth are more likely to come from disadvantaged family situations in which their life chances are already limited (Maynard, Rebecca A. 1997) “Nearly eighty percent of teen mothers eventually go on welfare. More than seventy percent of all unmarried teen mothers went on welfare within five years of the birth of their first child. In fact, some fifty percent of all mothers on welfare were teenagers at the time their first child was born” (AGI, 1994). The consequences of early parenthood for teen fathers are generally not as severe as those for teen mothers, even though according to Peter Brandon, teen fathers are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors and to use alcohol routinely, deal drugs, or quit school (1999). Among married men studied by researchers in Kids Having Kids, those who were teen fathers had the least schooling. Also, researchers calculated that the fathers of children born to teen mothers earned an estimated average of $3,400 less a year than the fathers of children born to mothers who Dihewou 3 were twenty or twenty one over the eighteen years following the birth of their first child. (Brandon, Peter, D.1999) Although teenage pregnancy seems to have many negative impacts on the young parents, the consequences are more severe on the children born from teenagers. For many of the children of teen parents, the future is compromised even before they are born. A nation- wide research conducted by the AGI determined that nationally, ten percent of teens aged fifteen to nineteen who gave birth in 1996 received inadequate prenatal care. And, in Arizona, New Mexico, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, more than fourteen percent of teens did not receive adequate prenatal care (1994). That undoubtedly helps to explain why babies born to teen mothers are about one-third more likely to be of low birth-weight (less than 5.5 pounds) than babies born to older women (AGI, 1994) Once born, the children of teen mothers face additional health risks. The offspring of teenage mothers are more likely to be poor, abused, or neglected than those of women who delay childbearing, and they are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1998; Maynard, 1997). They are also at greater risk of lower intellectual and academic achievement and social behavioral problems. One study found that children of teenage mothers are almost three times as likely to be incarcerated during their adolescence or early twenties as are the children of older mothers (Maynard, 1997). Children born to teen mothers are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely to be unemployed and to become teenage parents themselves than those born to women who delay childbearing (Maynard, 1997). In addition, a recent study by the National Institute of Child Health Dihewou 4 and Human Development found that babies born to teen moms are at higher risk of abuse and neglect, including death (Maynard, 1997). In 1996, the poverty rate for all children born to teen mothers was 42 percent, twice the overall rate for children (AGI, 1994). But income is not the only problem. Studies show that teen parents are generally less able to give their children the kind of solid foundation, including proper nutrition, health care, cognitive and social stimulation, and old-fashioned nurturing; in short, the things all kids need to get off to a good start (Maynard, Rebecca A. 1997) Teenage births also create significant health risks for the baby. Teenage mothers are less likely to gain adequate weight during their pregnancy, leading to low birth weight, which is associated with infant and childhood disorders and a high rate of infant mortality. Low birth weight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems (American Medical Association, 2004). Teenage mothers tend to have poor eating habits and are less likely to take recommended daily multivitamins to maintain adequate nutrition during pregnancy. They are also more likely to smoke, drink, or take drugs during pregnancy, which can cause health problems for the baby. Teenage mothers are less likely to seek regular prenatal care. Prenatal care is essential for monitoring the growth of the fetus; keeping the mother’s weight in check; and advising the mother on nutrition and how she should take care of herself to ensure a healthy pregnancy. According to the American Medical Association, babies born to women who do not have regular prenatal care are Dihewou 5 four times more likely to die before the age of one year. In addition to increased health risks, children born to teenage mothers are more likely to experience social, emotional, and other problems (American Medical Association, 2004). Beside the significant impacts parenthood has on teenagers and their offspring, society as a whole is also affected. An adolescent's childbearing also impacts her family of origin, particularly the family's inner circle and the younger siblings. According to certain experts, an adolescent's childbearing diminishes the quality of her parents' parenting, reduces her parents' future expectations of their younger children, and increases her parents' acceptance of teenage childbear...