LIFE CHANCES OF CHILDREN OF ADOLESCENT MOTHERS IN BENIN CITY

Abstract

The life chances of children of adolescents’ mothers are exposed to superior risk from birth to even their general well-being in the society at large. It is based on this note that this study – the life chances of children of adolescent mothers and the implications of teenage pregnancy to the mother and the child and the socio-economic effects as well as educational, medical and psychological effects of adolescents parenting on the child were critically examined. The study adopted the attachment theory as the theoretical framework. The sampled size consisted of 124 respondents selected through the snowball sampling technique, while the mean, standard deviation and Z-test served as the statistical tools used in explaining the life chances of the children of adolescent and adult mothers. The study revealed that children of adult mothers have access to good nutrition, medical facilities than their counterparts. In other words, children of teenage mothers do not have equal life chances with children of adult mothers. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends that government should provide welfare schemes and public assistance to adolescent mothers because their children are more likely to encounter increased prevalence of health problems. Proper sensitization might also indicate the success of widespread health care programmes that are designed to increase providers’ contact with teenage mothers and their children.