Teen pregnancy robs teens of their childhood and their futures as productive adults. It also robs their children, and their children's children. As a nation, we can no longer afford the consequences of teen pregnancy. Teenage Pregnancy , Facts you should know Statistics can be boring. Almost one-sixth of all U.S. births are to teenage women.
Babies born to young teen mothers have a higher risk of serious health problems.
Physical and mental birth defects affect many babies born to very young women. The high rate of teenagers having babies is a national health and social problem that demands attention. The teenage mother has special problems, physically and emotionally. The death rate from pregnancy complications is much higher among girls who give birth under age 15 than among older mothers. The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor.