The rate of live births for the County of Erie is above the state rate of 19.3 per 1,000 for 1995. The rate has increased from 36.5 per 1,000 in 1988 to 42.1 per 1,000 in 1996. The city's rate is above the state rate of 19.3 per 1,000. The rate for the City of Erie is nearly twice the 1994 national rate which was 23.1 births per 1,000 females. Erie County's Goal is to reduce the rate of live births to single teens by preventing teen pregnancy.
Young mothers have greater risks of complications during pregnancy.
There is a greater probability of infant death, blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, and cerebral palsy for the child. Unfavorable Consequences for Teen Parents 7 out of 10 adolescent mothers will drop out of high school. Teen fathers finish an average of only 11.3 years of school by the age of 27, compared with nearly 13 years by their counterparts who delay fathering until age 21. Unfavorable Consequences for Children Children born to teen mothers are more likely to grow up in a single parent family. They are more likely to run away from home, more likely to be physically abused, abandoned, or neglected.