TEEN PREGNANCY: Truth and Consequence

Human development always takes place within the context of a relational environment.  These relationships serve to support us or hinder us as we transition from one developmental level to the next.   As I wrote in my last blog, development can be conceptualized as a system moving from a state of organization, to disorganization and then reorganization.  For women, pregnancy presents some incredible growth opportunities but also some very real challenges.  When the new mother is a teenager, the risks are significantly greater.  The United States ranks number one amongst western industrialized nations in the number of teenage births.   The statistic reports that for every 1000 girls between the ages of 15-20, 42.5 will become teenage mothers.   Children of the adolescent mothers often display developmental and behavioral problems and are more likely to go on to become teenage mothers themselves.

Adolescence is a time when it is developmentally expected that the individual will demonstrate increased self-centeredness, mood instability, risk-taking and a focus on short term rewards without weighing out of all the consequences of one’s actions.  These developmental changes are in contrast to the sacrifices and commitments required of parents.  Some lifestyle choices such as eating habits, smoking, drinking and sexual relations must change in order to protect the developing fetus.   

Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at increased risk for premature births, low birth weights, pregnancy complications, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  Teenagers are less likely to get early and regular prenatal care.  A teen mother is at greater risk for high blood pressure, anemia and the presence of a sexually transmitted infection.  These delays in medical attention place both the mother and developing child at significantly greater risk for complications. 

A premature baby’s lack of developmental maturity can result in under-developed organs.  The brain of the infant is faced with more challenges than when the child is in utero.  In the womb, no food is ingested directly into the stomach but is processed through the mother’s digestive system.   The fetus does not have to breathe on their own because the mother’s body takes care of that function.  In the womb, the fetus can see and hear but cannot yet regulate sensory input in the same way a full term infant is capable of processing.  The premature infant is extremely dependent upon their caretaker to regulate their physiology.  Their immature, internal systems can be flooded and overwhelmed.  Because the brain of an infant is being organized by the patterned and repetitive sensory experiences, they are vulnerable to chronic stress.   This stress can alter the sensitivity of the infant’s alarm system, leading to long-term mental, medical and social issues.   

So we have a high risk situation where a developmentally immature mother is caring for a developmentally immature infant.  Further complicating this scenario is the high incidence of family and community poverty, single parenthood, high rate of limited education and disrupted extended family relations.  When the mother and infant need the most support, they are often left alone and vulnerable. 

Many teenage mothers, with the support of their family, are able to negotiate all of these obstacles and are incredible success stories.  Yet many the hurdles are way too high and their resources are way too low.   Seventy-five percent of all unmarried teen mothers will depend upon welfare within 5 years of the birth of their first child (marchofdimes.com/medical resources).

Early and regular prenatal care and supportive services can make an enormous difference in the lives of these teen mothers and children.  Education regarding proper nutrition, stress management, and the benefits of continuing their education within the context of a supportive relational environment can scaffold the developing teen mother and her new born through this important transitional period.   Supporting teen mothers can result in an early return on our relational investments.