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• one in three young women will have been pregnant
  at least once by the time she is twenty
• www.teenpregnancy.org

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A village would be nice but it takes long-acting
contraception

• TEENS, PREGNANCY, BIRTHS AND PREVENTION
• Dyan Aretakis, UVA Teen Health Center

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Births to 15-17 year olds in the United States
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Teen Birth Decline in Virginia

• The 30 decline in births to girls ages 15-19
  produces estimates that
• There has been a 5 improvement in the states
  poverty rate for children under age six
• A 5 improvement in the proportion of children
  under age six living with a single mother.
• Accomplished by reducing the teen birth total by
  24,000 from 1991 - 2002
• www.teenpregnancy.org/whycare/whatif.asp

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1517 yo birth rates increase in 2006

• Birth rates for white, black and hispanic
  teens all increased from 2005-2006 3, 5, 2
  respectively, the first increase in 15 years

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Issues preceeding a teen pregnancy

• Early-maturing girls
• Childhood sexual abuse (65 of teen moms)
• Dating violence (8 57)
• School issues
• High rates of sexually transmitted diseases
• Mental health issues
• Poverty

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What are the risks in teen births?

• Preterm birth less than 37 weeks
• Youngest age biology or SES?
• Especially if close to menarche
• Unmarried/unplanned
• Low birth weight
• Preeclampsia
• Neonatal mortality (Preterm birth/low birth
  weight) and postneonatal mortality (disadvantaged
  infant environment)
• Postpartum depression 50
• Child Abuse
• Child growth and development
• Economic
• Family
• Rapid repeat pregnancy
• Intimate Partner Violence (20)

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• Socioeconomic status or being a teen?
• Controlling for socioeconomic conditions
  eliminates some differences in LBW among teens
  and older moms
• It is access to care or just being a teen?
• Teens more prone to delaying care and then
  AFFORDING care

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Impact of teen births

• School Readiness
• Family
• Mental health

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School readiness children of teen parents

• ECLS K
• Looks at these measures
• Cognition and knowledge
• Language and communication
• Approaches to learning
• Emotional well-being and social skills
• Physical well-being and motor development
• Playing Catch-up How Children born to teen
  mothers fare, www.teenpregnancy.org, 2005

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School readiness children of teen parents

• Children born to teen mothers begin kindergarten
  with lower levels of school readiness
• Differences seen especially in cognition,
  knowledge and language development
• Children of mothers who are 18 or 19 are not any
  better prepared
• Children of mothers in their 20s and older fare
  the best

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School readiness children born to teen mothers

• Delaying a pregnancy until a young woman is in
  her 20s helps her establish education,
  employment, marriage
• However simply delaying a pregnancy until a young
  woman is 20 is not enough
• She must make progress in her own life
  economically and educationally to parent
  successfully

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Family effects children born to teen mothers

• 80 of teen mothers live at home one year after
  giving birth
• Mothers of teen moms found to be less
  affectionate and more critical of all their
  children after a teen birth in the household.
• 59 of teen mothers under age 18 drop out of high
  school
• Younger siblings learn negative behavior by
  modeling their older siblings (who are teen
  parents)
• Younger siblings have more negative attitudes
  toward school and careers following their older
  siblings
• Younger girl siblings affected, boy siblings not

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Mental Health Issues

• Teen moms twice as likely to have depression
  compared with adults moms
• African American teens twice as likely as white
  teen moms
• Often also a history of intimate partner violence
  
• Teen mom depression increases risk of child
  abuse/neglect interpersonal conflict adverse
  effects on childs intellectual development and
  psychosocial functioning

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Mental Health Issues in teen births

• Treating teen moms depression is better for the
  child
• Trying to find services for teens is depressing
  esp with additional mental health diagnoses
• Risk of repeat pregnancy within 24 months is 40
  higher than nondepressed teen moms
• Teen depression underdetected and inadequately
  treated, explained away as teen behavior

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Preventing the Risks of Teen Births

• Routine health care and early prenatal care
• Identify other health risks including type II
  diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, abnormal
  pap smears, anemias, asthma, eating disorders,
  sexual violence/IPV
• Emphasis is on prenatal care before the 7th month
• Saves 2300/infant when LBW avoided.
• Age appropriate care with emphasis on
  pregnancy/parenting education. Include home
  visiting, mental health treatment and school
  based programs.
• Prevent 2nd pregnancy through long acting
  contraception

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A village would be nice.....

• Schools with childcare
• Faith communities
• Affordable/accessible health care providers
• Pre-K programs
• Mental health services
• Free Child care
• Job training
• Stable and supportive family environment

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Or you can..

• Postpone a first pregnancy through long acting
  contraception