Healthcare Paper: Teen Pregnancy

Teen Pregnancy

Name

Class

Date

Professor

Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is not only a social problem but can also create major health consequences for the teen girl. The teen pregnancy rate in America is high with the number being nine times higher than any other developed country on the globe (WebMD, 2013). Despite these high numbers the teen pregnancy rate in America is slowly declining. In 1991 there were 117 pregnancies for every 1000 teen girls while in 2008 this number was almost cut in half with 68 pregnancies for every 1000 teen girls (WebMD, 2013). Teen girls that are pregnant are at a far greater risk for complications during or after the pregnancy due to a lack of proper prenatal care and a higher risk for dangerous medical conditions.

Pregnant teenage girls are far less likely to get the prenatal care they need. The teen that does not receive sufficient prenatal care may hide the pregnancy or may not receive the support needed from their parents. When the teen girl does not receive proper prenatal care they do not receive the necessary screening to ensure the teen mother and the baby are progressing normally without any health complications. Screenings during prenatal care will assist doctors in identifying any medical conditions that could potentially harm the mother or the baby. If the medical condition of complication is identified it can be immediately addressed to reduce the risk to the teen mother and the fetus.

Another important aspect of prenatal care is the prenatal vitamins all mothers need to take to improve the health of the mother and the baby. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid are essential in helping to help prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects (Eden, 2010). Other vitamins strengthen bones, improve cell growth, and assist in ensuring the infant has the best chance for being born healthy and properly developed. When the teen does not receive the necessary vitamins it increases the risk to the infant and the teen mom.

Pregnant teen moms are at a higher risk for certain complications that can occur during pregnancy. Teen moms are far more likely to get high blood pressure. High blood pressure during teen pregnancy leads to health complications. When a teen mom has high blood pressure the baby can be born too early or be born with low birth weight. Teen moms also have a higher risk for preeclampsia (Eden, 2010). This is high blood pressure mixed with high protein content in the urine. It causes swelling in the hands, feet, and face and leads to major organ damage. Mothers with untreated preeclampsia can experience permanent kidney damage or it can create toxemia in the blood.

Babies that are born to teen moms will have poorer health outcomes in a higher majority of cases over the mother that has their child in adulthood. Teens moms wither do not receive proper prenatal care or they will fail to take proper care of their bodies during pregnancy. This includes not eating enough food, eating unhealthy foods, and not drinking water and milk. This can result in poor health outcomes for the fetus. Another problem is the body of the pregnant teen is not designed to give birth.

The teen mom’s pelvic bone is not yet an adequate size for bearing a child until they reach eighteen. This can result in complications during labor. The smaller pelvic bone also requires a higher number of caesarian sections during pregnancy which comes with the risks associated with surgery. Babies born to teen mothers have a higher rate of fatality than babies born to adult mothers twenty years or older (Eden, 2010). Teens give birth to babies every day in the United States and these pregnancies are often paired with health complications.

References

Eden, E. (2010). A Guide to Pregnancy Complications. Retrieved August 30, 2014 from

http://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/complications/a-guide

WebMD. (2013). Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities. Retrieved August 30, 2014 from

http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities