These infections are said to occur at the rate of more than 7,000 daily. The World Health Organization estimates that the risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes is twice as high for women ages 15 to 19 than for women ages 20 to 24. And for girls ages 10 to 14, maternal mortality rates may be five times higher than for women in their early 20s. Unintended pregnancies among teenagers account for at least 2 million unsafe abortions each year, according to PRB experts. At least 10 percent of all abortions worldwide occur among women ages 15 to 19, and in many countries the proportion of abortions occurring among teens seems to be rising.
Children born to teenage mothers often suffer health problems, too.
They are more likely to be low birth weight and suffer the consequences of retarded fetal growth. Infant and early childhood deaths are higher when the mother is under age 20. See our copyright policy for permission to reproduce or reprint information from the Population Reference Bureau.