Effects of teenage childbearing on neonatal and infant behavior in Puerto Rico

Abstract

The Brazelton scale was administered to 42 infants born to adolescent mothers and 42 infants born to older mothers in Puerto Rico. Infants with low complications scored higher on regulation of state, and a significant interaction showed that within low complication groups, infants of teenage mothers had a wider range of state than infants of older mothers. One-year follow-up assessments of mental and motor development and temperament ratings showed no significant differences between infants born to teenage mothers and older mothers. The pattern of correlations between neonatal variables and one-year outcome indicated more consistent relationships for the infants born to teenage mothers, particularly along state-related dimensions. These findings point out the need to consider both the immediate obstetric history and the larger sociocultural environment in understanding the impact of a teenage mother on her infant.