Risks for Teen Pregnancy

Pregnant teenagers and their unborn babies can face problems which are directly related to the mum’s young age and lack of worldly experience as well as her physical condition. Here are just some of the highlighted risks for teen pregnancy :- Insufficient pre-natal care Many teenage girls wait far too long before telling an adult of their condition so they are at risk of not getting adequate pre-natal care in those all important early weeks. Prenatal care screens for medical problems in both mother and baby, monitors the growth of the baby, and allows doctors to deal quickly with any complications. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid help prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects and should ideally taken before getting pregnant, but as most teenage pregnancies are unplanned this is unlikely to happen. Anaemia (low iron levels in the blood) is also more common among teenage mums. High blood pressure Statistics have shown that pregnant teens have a higher risk of getting high blood pressure (hypertension) and pre-eclampsia. These medical risks for teen pregnancy can lead to complications such as premature birth. If the teenager’s baby has to be delivered early for the health of the mother, the baby has a higher risk of respiratory, digestive, vision, cognitive, and other problems. STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) For teenagers with an active sex life, possibly with several casual-sex- partners, STDs such as Chlamydia and HIV are a major concern. STDs can cross the placenta and infect the baby while it is in the uterus. Other STDs (like gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, hepatitis B, and genital herpes) can be transmitted to the baby during delivery as the baby passes through the birth canal. The harmful effects of STDs in babies may include stillbirth, low birth weight, and a range of other conditions including conjunctivitis, pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, neurologic damage, hepatitis, meningitis, blindness, deafness, chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis. Sacred and lonely Many teenagers are too scared to tell their parents they're pregnant and this feeling scared, isolated, and alone can be a real problem leading to a general apathy about taking care of themselves, and their baby. Without support pregnant teens are less likely to eat well, exercise, or get enough rest while pregnant and later may be at higher risk of postnatal depression or the baby blues. Ignorance Before the numerous books and websites came along to tell us all how to have a healthy pregnancy most women managed with a bit of family advice and common sense. But teenagers are still little more than babies themselves. If a teen is still not savvy about healthy eating, exercising and general day to day living she is unlikely to be well equipped to look after herself in pregnancy. Adults would know to take some moderate exercise, avoid alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs, and not to take over-the-counter medications without GP approval and have regular pre-natal check-ups. Teenagers rarely have that bank of common sense to draw from.