The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate among developed countries. About 1 million teens become pregnant each year. Despite the recent decline in the teen birth rate, teen pregnancy remains a significant problem in this country.
Most teen pregnancies are unintended.
Each year, about 200,000 teens aged 17 and younger have children. Having children at such a young age comes with a number of possible physical problems. Younger mothers have, on average, more babies with a low birth weight, which can cause health complications for the child. Younger women also experience higher rates of infant death than women who have children at a later age. Many of these problems stem from the fact that a teens' body is still developing, and the stress of pregnancy can cause complications.