Teen-age pregnancy

Abstract

In the U.S. in 1960 there were 13.2 million people aged 15-19 a 25% increase over the number 10.6 million for 1950. Adolescent mothers and expectant mothers are a high risk group in health education vocation society and psychological make-up. In 1959 in the U.S. 39% of all brides were teenagers compared to 33% in 1950. Teenage grooms rose from 7% to 13%. The need for community services for teenagers encompasses premarital counseling employment education and vocational training. The divorce rate is 3-4 times higher for teenagers than for adults. 600000 children were born to mothers aged 15-19 in the U.S. in 1960; 14% of all babies born in the U.S. and in California in 1959 were to teenaged mothers. A study in Maryland showed more female adolescents leaving school for pregnancy than for any other reason. Age-specific fertility rates by race found 13.6% for 16-year-olds 7.5% for 15 and 2.6% for 14 among nonwhites. Prematurity rates and neonatal mortality rates are higher among this age group than among adults. The percentage of low birth weight births to mothers under age 17 is twice that of women aged 25-29. The adolescent who is growing rapidly has an increased nutritional need for herself. Pregnancy places increased nutritional demands on the teenager. Each year about 250000 babies are born to unmarried mothers. Between 1961-3 there was an increase in syphilis cases of 15.4% among the aged 10-14 group.