Problems for Teenage Mothers
Teenage mothers are usually by default put into a difficult situations when the baby arrives. These problems range from social, such as people looking down on the teenager for being a young mother, to various health and mental problems. If someone you know is on her way to becoming a teenage mother, keep in mind the problems the young woman might face in the near future.
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Risk of Quitting School
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When a teenager becomes pregnant, she is at risk of quitting school prematurely. Statistics show that only 40 percent of teenagers pregnant before completing high school actually graduate, compared to 75 percent of teenagers who do not become pregnant. This is because that caring for a child while juggling schoolwork becomes too much to bear for many girls, resulting in her dropping out of school.
Emotional Problems
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Teenage mothers can have emotional problems during and after pregnancy. Some might see the baby as a burden and might grow to hate her child before it is even born, but others might want a baby to use as a trophy to show off to friends and gain attention. Other pregnant teens don't feel ready for motherhood and realize this; however, the teen might keep the baby to please a family member who believes she should. Other teens are excited by the prospect of having a baby to care for but might be overwhelmed by the responsibility; this can cause teenage mothers to feel guilty about having the baby, which can lead to depression.
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Poverty
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Teenagers who become pregnant also risk living in poverty. Because many teenage mothers drop out of high school when pregnant, she lacks a proper education, resulting in the inability to obtain a job that requires a high school education. This will decrease the pay she receives and hinder the amount of care she can provide for the child. Statistics from the March of Dimes show that within five years after giving birth to the child, 75 percent of unmarried teen moms go on welfare.
Health Problems in Baby
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Teenagers who have children are more likely to have a baby that is premature as opposed to a woman who has a child between the ages of 20 and 29. Babies who are born premature weigh less than babies born normally, and the more premature the baby is, the less it will weigh. This can result in non-fully developed organs inside the child, which can lead to breathing difficulties, bleeding of the brain and other defects. With premature birth comes potential health problems that could haunt the baby for the rest of her life.
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