Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities

Do you have the facts about teen pregnancy -- the statistics and the way teen pregnancy affects health? Do you know the common early signs of pregnancy? How about how to have a healthy pregnancy at a young age? Here’s information that will help you understand teenage pregnancy. It can also help you get through it if you are a teenager who is pregnant.

Teen pregnancy: The facts

About 40 teenage girls get pregnant for every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19.

The CDC's latest statistics showed a recent 3% rise in teen pregnancies. That means about 42 births for every 1,000 girls in 2006, up from 40.5 births in 2005. In real numbers, that translates to about 20,000 more births among teens in the U.S. in 2006. At the same time, teen pregnancies are still at their lowest level in 30 years. The high was 61 births per 1,000 girls in 1991.

Teen pregnancy: The signs

Missing one or more menstrual periods is the classic sign of pregnancy. But this can be tricky for teenage girls whose periods aren't yet regular. It can also be tricky for girls whose cycles are off as a result of excessive dieting or exercise or low body fat from sports or anorexia.

The full list of pregnancy signs includes:

• a missed menstrual period
• nausea or vomiting -- called "morning sickness," though it can happen throughout the day
• sudden, intense aversion to certain foods, especially meats or fatty, fried foods
• sore nipples or breasts
• unusual fatigue
• frequent urination
• unusual mood swings

Of course, a positive pregnancy test is another sign of pregnancy. Today's home pregnancy tests are generally considered accurate. These simple kits can be bought over the counter in drugstores.

Teen pregnancy: Medical risks and realities

Pregnant teens and their unborn babies have unique medical risks.

Lack of prenatal care

Teenage girls who are pregnant -- especially if they don't have support from their parents -- are at risk of not getting adequate prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical, especially in the first months of pregnancy. Prenatal care screens for medical problems in both mother and baby, monitors the growth of the baby, and deals quickly with any complications that arise. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid -- ideally taken before getting pregnant -- are key in helping to help prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects.

High blood pressure

Pregnant teens have a higher risk of getting high blood pressure -- called pregnancy-induced hypertension -- than pregnant women in their 20s or 30s. They also have a higher risk of preeclampsia. This is a dangerous medical condition that combines high blood pressure with excess protein in the urine, swelling of a mother's hands and face, and organ damage.

These medical risks affect the pregnant teen, who may need to take medications to control symptoms. But they can also disrupt the unborn baby's growth. And, they can lead to further pregnancy complications such as premature birth.