Teen Pregnancy

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 baby's growth, and deals quickly with any complications that arise. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid -- ideally takenbefore getting pregnant -- are essential 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.
Low-birth-weight baby
Teens are at higher risk of having low-birth-weight babies. Premature babies are more likely to weigh less than they should. In part, that’s because they've had less time in the womb to grow. A low-birth-weight baby weighs only 3.3 to 5.5 pounds (1,500 to 2,500 grams). A very-low-birth-weight baby weighs less than 3.3 pounds. Babies that small may need to be put on a ventilator in a hospital's neonatal care unit for help with breathing after birth.
STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
For teens who have sex during pregnancy, STDs such as chlamydia and HIV are a major concern. Using a latex condom during intercourse may help prevent STDs, which can infect the uterus and growing baby.
Postpartum depression
Pregnant teens may be at higher risk of postpartum depression (depression that starts after delivering a baby), according to the CDC. Girls who feel down and sad, either while pregnant or after the birth, should talk openly with their doctors or someone else they trust. Depression can interfere with taking good care of a newborn -- and with healthy teenage development -- but it can be treated.
Feeling Alone and Isolated
Especially for teens who think they can't tell their parents they're pregnant, feeling scared, isolated, and alone can be a real problem. Without the support of family or other adults, pregnant teens are less likely to eat well, exercise, or get plenty of rest. And they are less likely to get to their regular prenatal visits. Having at least one trusted, supportive adult -- someone nearby in the community, if not a family member -- is invaluable in helping them get the prenatal care and emotional support they need to stay healthy during this time.
How to lower the health risks of teen pregnancy
If you are a teenager who is pregnant, here is how to ensure a healthy teen pregnancy: * Get early prenatal care. Call your doctor for your first prenatal visit as soon as you think you might be pregnant. If you can't afford to see a doctor, ask your school nurse or counselor to help you find a low-cost clinic and other resources. For example, they can help you find state Medicaid or WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) programs. * Stay away from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. These harm a growing fetus even more than they harm a growing teenager. If you're not able to quit by yourself, ask for help from someone you trust. * Take a prenatal vitamin with at least 0.4 mg of folic acid every day to help prevent birth defects. Ideally, this should start before you get pregnant. * Ask for emotional support. Motherhood brings untold emotional and practical challenges -- especially for teens still in school. Reach out to others -- your friends, family, the baby's father -- for emotional and practical support.
For teenagers who are healthy, chances are good of delivering a healthy, strong baby -- especially with early prenatal care and a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities?page=2 Older mother
Pregnancy Over Age 30
Many women today are waiting until later in life to have children. In the United States, birth rates for women in their 30s are at the highest levels in three decades. However, an older mother may be at increased risk for miscarriage, birth defects, and pregnancy complications such as twins, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and difficult labors. Some studies show that while there may be a greater likelihood of pregnancy complications in older women, their babies may not have more problems than babies of younger women. This is more likely when women receive prenatal care and give birth in a healthcare facility equipped to care for high-risk mothers and babies.
Risks for chromosome abnormalities by maternal age
The risk of chromosomal abnormality increases with maternal age. The chance of having a child affected by Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25, to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40. It is possible that risks may be higher as many statistics only report live births and do not take into account pregnancies with chromosomal abnormalities that were terminated or ended due to natural pregnancy loss.
In general, after having one child with Down syndrome, the chance of having another baby with Down syndrome is higher. After age 40, the recurrence risk for Down syndrome is based on the age of the mother at delivery. It is important to know that most babies with Down syndrome are born to women under the age of 35. This is because women under the age of 35 have more babies than women over 35. The doctor may refer parents to a genetic specialist or genetic counselor who can explain the results of chromosomal tests in detail, including what the recurrence risks may be in another pregnancy and what tests are available to diagnose chromosome problems before a baby is born.
Prenatal testing is available to help diagnose or rule out chromosomal abnormalities and other genetic birth defects. Testing may include blood tests, ultrasound (using sound waves to look at internal structures), chorionic villus sampling (testing the tissues around the fetus), or amniocentesis (withdrawing a sample of the amniotic fluid).
Risk of miscarriage and maternal age
Some studies have shown a higher chance of miscarriage (early pregnancy loss) in older mothers. When considering all women, about half of first trimester miscarriages occur because of a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus. Because these abnormalities increase with maternal age, miscarriage is also more likely.
If you are pregnant and over the age of 30, talk with your doctor about your individual health and discuss plans for helping you and your developing baby maintain a healthy pregnancy. http://www.chkd.org/healthlibrary/Content.aspx?pageid=P02481 Maternal death * death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. * irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy.
Direct maternal death * complication of the pregnancy, delivery, or management of the two, and an Indirect maternal death * pregnancy-related death in a patient with a preexisting or newly developed health problem unrelated to pregnancy.
Major causes
As stated by the WHO in its 2005 World Health Report "Make Every Mother and Child Count", the major causes of maternal deaths are: * severe bleeding/hemorrhage (25%) * infections (13%) * unsafe abortions (13%) * eclampsia (12%) * obstructed labour (8%)

Indirect causes are malaria, anaemia, HIV/AIDS, and cardiovascular disease, all of which complicate pregnancy or are aggravated by it. abortion. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)

* ratio of the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. * includes deaths during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, for a specified year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death