n family life and sexual education, as well as clinics providing reproductive information and birth control to young people, can help prevent unwanted pregnancies. Fifty percent of adolescents who have a baby become pregnant again with in two years of the babys birth. Twenty-two percent of all births to 15-19 year old young women in the U.S. were repeat births, now to me that is way too much to put upon yourself at such a young age. WelfareTeen mothers all too often rely on welfare to feed their children and this pattern of reliance on the government crosses over their children. Children of teen mothers are two times more likely to rely on welfare, than the children of a woman four years older. Once a teen mother has moved into the welfare stream, she will to remain there for the rest of her life. Child AbuseJenny is 16. Her son is only one year old and has been hospitalized twice because of Jennys abuse. Jenny attends a counseling session once a week with other mothers who also abuse their children. Jenny loves her son and feels that, I could just burst into tears with happiness when he smiles. However, like many teen mothers, Jenny also feels she has been robbed of her youth, and sees her son as the culprit. What an excuse, huh? Birth DefectsYounger mothers have a greater chance that their babies will have low birth weights. Low birth rates are associated with birth injuries, infant death, childhood illness, and mental retardation. Why is this? Teen mothers are less experienced with recognizing the symptoms of pregnancy, and less experience with health care systems, so they are less likely to have adequate prenatal care. Many young mothers wait until beyond the thirteenth week to acknowledge the pregnancy, and fall behind in providing essential care for their babies. OverpopulationThe problem of overpopulation is severely affected by teen pregnancy. In California alone, 400 teens discover that they are ...
