A 14-year-old girl getting pregnant presents significant health risks, including higher chances of preeclampsia, premature birth, low birth weight, and infections, due to underdeveloped bodies, plus potential childbirth complications like obstructed labor, with major emotional, educational, and financial impacts, requiring support for decisions on carrying to term (adoption, parenting) or abortion, and access to prenatal care for the best possible outcomes.
Special Concerns of Pregnant Teens
fetal death. high blood pressure. anemia. labor and delivery complications (such as premature labor and stillbirth)
From 2015 to 2021, an estimated 14 percent of adolescent girls and young women globally reported giving birth before age 18. The adolescent birth rate is higher in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC), compared to higher- income countries.
Young moms are at increased risk of preterm birth, LBW infants, preeclampsia, eclampsia, premature membrane rupture, gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension, urinary infections, and hemorrhagic syndromes [5,6].
In general, infants that are born very early are not considered to be viable until after 24 weeks gestation. This means that if you give birth to an infant before they are 24 weeks old, their chance of surviving is usually less than 50 percent. Some infants are born before 24 weeks gestation and do survive.
Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.
When Nash Keen was born, he weighed just 10 ounces. A 1-year-old boy who was born at 21 weeks has been named the world's most premature baby by Guinness World Records.
3 ways to find out if you're definitely pregnant:
Every pregnant woman should receive prenatal care as soon as possible, especially if she is planning to continue her pregnancy. When you are a pregnant 13-year-old, there are some added risks of pregnancy; your body may not be fully developed enough to carry a child to term and have a safe delivery.
The emotional journey for parents upon learning about their teen daughter's pregnancy is profound and multifaceted. Reactions may include shock, disappointment, concern, and empathy. These emotions can be intense and conflicting. It's vital to recognize and process these feelings in a healthy manner.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to tell your parents you're pregnant:
Early pregnancy symptoms include bloating, sore breasts, upset stomach, and feeling tired. But these symptoms can also be caused by other things, like PMS or being sick. And some people don't have symptoms at all in early pregnancy. So symptoms alone can't tell you what's going on — only a pregnancy test can.
In 2023, there were approximately 3.6 million births in the United States. About 141,000 of these births (3.9%) were to teenagers aged 15 to 19. This reflects a teen birth rate of 13.1 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in 2023—the lowest rate on record, and a 2% decline from 2022.
Lina Medina. Lina Marcela Medina de Jurado (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlina meˈðina]; born 23 September 1933) is a Peruvian woman who became the youngest confirmed mother in history when she gave birth to her son Gerardo on 14 May 1939 when she was five years, seven months, and 21 days of age.
Prenatal Care
Ask a trusted adult, like a parent or school counselor, to help you find low-cost or free care in your community. During your first visit, the doctor will ask you lots of questions, including the date of your last period. This helps the doctor work out how long you have been pregnant and your due date.
Here's what I want you to know. ' The eldest of eight children, her parents had substance abuse issues, and Anna eventually ran away to live with her boyfriend, who she describes as “extremely controlling and emotionally abusive”.
Don't Force Her to Make a Certain Decision
Although you may want your daughter to handle her pregnancy a certain way, she may want to do the complete opposite. If your daughter needs your parental consent to move forward with her unplanned pregnancy decision, try to hear her out and support her choice.
What are my options if I have an unplanned pregnancy?
Early pregnancy is a crucial period in the development of a foetus. It is defined as the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and it is a time when the foetus undergoes rapid growth and development. During this time, the body undergoes significant changes as well, which can lead to a variety of symptoms.
“Women are most fertile from ages 13 to 30. That's reproductive prime, with 18 to 25 being the peak.” Of course, everyone understands the importance of encouraging teens to be extra cautious about preventing pregnancy—especially given the above odds.
At seven weeks, your baby can feel sensation around the lips. By 13 weeks, their whole body can respond to touch. They can feel the umbilical cord brush over their skin as they move. By seven months pregnant they can feel the walls of the womb holding them tightly in a giant cuddle.
Loose and long garments are a great way to hide pregnancy bump, especially as it grows larger and more prominent. Well, all the more excuse to go down to the mall and start picking up some new dresses then. Just make sure the dresses are loose but not too loose – because you don't want the wind to blow your cover!
“What we have learned, and not just necessarily with Nash, is that survival is possible at 21 weeks' gestation, but not just survival — meaningful survival,” McNamara said. Now, just over 1 year old, Nash has been given the Guinness World Record for most premature baby at 21 weeks and zero days.
Thanks to the attention they receive, low birth weight babies between 1.5kg and 2.5kg (3.3lbs. and 5.5lbs.) now have a 95% chance of survival, and these babies will catch up with other babies and lead a normal life if there are no other complications.
Nash was born so extremely premature that he was the first to do it at his gestational age and live. He was born at 21 weeks exactly. The previous Guinness World Record was 21 weeks and two days. "He just kept fighting and he stayed with us," said Nash's dad, Randall Keen.