dangers of youthful pregnancies
Giving life to new beings is one of the most priceless acts of all time. Even so, women who conceive as early as 13-19 years of age face various health and socioeconomic risks. Since these dangers are sometimes fatal, the topic of teenage pregnancy has been a major area of research over the years. This paper will, therefore, provide a clear-cut appraisal of the dangers of youthful pregnancies.
Health-related risks could either affect the mother or the child, or both. First among them is the chance of the mother becoming anemic. Pubertal girls may not have as much healthy caloric intake as is needed for pregnancy. Resultantly, they may end up losing much more blood during delivery than elder women. Scholarly research reveals that anemia during pregnancy is most dominant among teenage girls. Secondly, hypertension can also be a consequence of early conception. The high blood pressure that comes with carrying a womb may put the life of the young mother and the baby at stake. If not watched and given intensive care, either or both of the two may fail to make it past childbirth. The baby may also be born underweight or prematurely.
Socioeconomic risks affect the girl’s life and future greatly. Raising a child and keeping up with schoolwork can be so much for a teenager to handle. Approximately 40% of young girls who conceive choose to quit or defer from school over the burden of child upbringing. Also, teenage pregnancy affects a girl’s social life; how she relates with her peers and the community at large. She is no longer viewed as the young girl she is but as a mother with adult responsibilities. A young mother may also run insufficient of resources to raise her child without strain, especially when the father is absent. The teenage age is barely a time to find a reliable source of income; unless the girl has someone to support her financially, she may be unable to provide for her child adequately.
In conclusion, teenage pregnancy puts the girl and her unborn baby at risk in various ways. It may cause her such conditions as anemia which can be fatal when severe. It may also affect her socioeconomic life greatly. It is, therefore, important to take care of the young girls who conceive in their teenage-hood while advising others to avoid going down the same road.