Too young

Bristol, Christian Louie

Rodriguez, Emmanuel
Alvarez, Ronilyn
De Vera, Janet Mia Kasandra
Irrevere, Wreignna Joie
Simeon, May Ann
Tomboc, Karen Luis

Women between the ages of 1519 years give birth to 16 million

newborns worldwide every year according to WHO. Studies have
related adolescent pregnancy to low socioeconomic status, lack
of awareness, inadequate contraception, as well as insufficient
prenatal care. Being a teenage mother may result many
consequences and risks to the pregnancy, not only for the
newborn but also to the mothers health.

 In five of the studies, the participants age ranged from 13-19

years old. Three studies were done in the United States, one
from Lebanon and one from East Africa
Measurement tools
I. Socioeconomic Status
II. Race/Ethnicity
III. Age
IV. Family Environment
V. Marital status
VI. Education
VII.Prenatal Care
VIII.Maternal outcomes
IX. Regional and religious difference

 Abused females reported significantly more teenage

pregnancies and teenage childbearing. Females with a
history of childhood sexual abuse were two and a half
times more likely to have had a teenage pregnancy and
over five times more likely to have given birth as a
teenager. Sexual abuse can lead to an overall tendency
or proclivity towards early sexual behavior.
Depressive symptoms and violence exposure often cooccur and have been recognized to influence
childbearing. Repeat pregnancy was significantly
influenced by child abuse and past traumatic life
experiences.

 The proportion of first births in adolescence is higher in

rural than in urban areas for all age groups. Adolescent
first births, particularly at the youngest ages, are most
common among the poorest and least educated.
Adolescent pregnancy is associated with increased risks
of both maternal and neonatal complications during and
after pregnancy. Teenage groups were associated with
increased risks for pre-term delivery, low birth weight
and neonatal mortality. Infants born to teenage mothers
aged 17 or younger had a higher risk for low Apgar
score at 5 min.
Repeat pregnancy and depressive symptoms
characterize more than 25% of adolescents.

Nursing Implications
Practice. Nurses need to conduct comprehensive
assessments of, provide both written and verbal
education/information to, and facilitate follow-up for all
young mothers. Screening adolescents for symptoms of
depression and violence exposure is essential at each
prenatal visit, in labor and birth, and postpartum.

 Education. Nurses and other health-care providers need to be able to

adequately educate and manage this patient population. When the

pregnant adolescent enters the hospital, the nurse needs to be ready to
evaluate the situation and act, giving support, providing education, and
making referrals as needed. Prenatal health teaching is the most
important. Also for low income countries, this will require the provision
of sexuality education including contraceptive education, making
contraceptives more widely available and easily accessible, and making
contraceptive service provision adolescent friendly. Nurses and
childbirth educators are poised to offer information and education on
birth control, depression; support; and community resources to all
adolescents.

 A systematic review journal says that a common problem with other

studies was the increased risk of preterm births and low birth weight in
the neonate of the adolescent mother. Generally, adolescent
pregnancy appears to have increased risks on both the mother and the
infant. The teenage mother may be at an increased risk of anemia,
infections, eclampsia and preeclampsia, emergency cesarean delivery,
postpartum depression, and inadequate breastfeeding initiation.
Children of teenage mothers are at increased risk for adverse
developmental outcomes, although the relationship, children of
teenage mothers had significantly higher body mass indices, smaller
head circumferences, and lower child IQ scores than children of older
mothers.

 Two of the studies have documented the deleterious effects of

childhood sexual abuse on females particularly on their
subsequent sexual behavior. It also suggests that the family
environment as construed by the childhood sexual female mother
may have particular influence on the occurrence of teenage
reproductive behavior in females with a history of childhood sexual
abuse. Health care professionals have the opportunity to intervene
directly by identifying potentially unsafe home environments for
teenage mothers and their infants and indirectly through sensitive
and appropriate parenting education.

Journals used:
Xi-Kuan Chen1, Shi Wu Wen, Nathalie Fleming, Kitaw Demissie, George G
Rhoads and Mark Walker, Teenage pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a
large population based retrospective cohort study, November 20, 2006, Website
Retrieved from: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/36/2/368.full
Sickel, A. E., Dillard, D. M., Trickett, P. K., Putman, F. W., & Noll, J. G. (2014). Past
trauma moderators in the childhood sexual abuse- teenage pregnancy/teenage
childbirth relationships. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 29(1), 10
20. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ab15fc27-4ef44190-9386-92b646294cc4%40sessionmgr4005&vid=2&hid=4209
Neal, S., Chandra-Mouli, V., & Chou, D. (2015). Adolescent first births in East
Africa: disaggregating characteristics, trends and determinants.Reproductive
Health,12(1), 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-12-13
Anderson, C., & Pierce, L. (2015). Depressive Symptoms and Violence Exposure:
Contributors to Repeat Pregnancies Among Adolescents.The Journal Of Perinatal
Education,24(4), 225-238. http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.24.4.225
Jeha, D., Usta, I., Ghulmiyyah, L., & Nassar, A. (2015). A review of the risks and
consequences of adolescent pregnancy.Journal Of Neonatal-Perinatal
Medicine,8(1), 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/npm-15814038

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