Pregnancy & Baby 

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Teenage pregnancy problems

Figures for teenage pregnancy have, over the years, shown a general tendency to rise in many areas of the UK, although over 70% of teenagers had sought contraceptive advice from their GP or the local Family Planning Clinic, and over 50% had been prescribed regular oral contraceptive treatments.

Most of the pregnancies occurring are largely unintended and generally regarded as a problem by young women – especially those under 16 years of age. Pregnancy rates tend to be higher in socially deprived areas where public welfare services are underfunded and overstretched. Many teenage parents live in disadvantaged communities and low-quality accommodation and this is often associated with poor general health of both the mother and the baby.

Teenagers do not, on the whole, take full responsibility for their own health and preparation for pregnancy is not usually considered by the vast majority. There is also a perception that antenatal care doesn’t really do anything and isn’t really necessary anyway.

Denial and ‘avoidance’ of the truth (being pregnant) is commonplace. Many have ambivalence about their pregnancy and a fear of discovery. This delays or prevents their uptake of antenatal care. As a consequence, nearly one in five of the teenagers who do become pregnant receive inadequate antenatal care. They have not ‘thought about it’, and often wait five months or later before seeing their GP. By this time many of the important blood screens are many weeks overdue, and any health problems that could have been easily detected and treated (such as anaemia, diabetes, and blood pressure problems) have been around long enough to jeopardise the health of both mother and unborn child. This group also suffers various other obstetric problems, including early placental separation.

The expected date of delivery (EDD), with a forecast of gestational age is also more difficult at this time of presentation because essential pre-gestational events and dates have been forgotten.

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