Pregnant 17 years old

When Your Teen Is Having a Baby (for Parents)

If your daughter is pregnant and planning to have the baby, many changes await your family. And though it's certainly not what most parents expect, it happens every day: nearly 250,000 teenage girls in the United States give birth every year.

If your teen is about to become a mother (or your son has fathered a child), it can be overwhelming for all of you. How can you support your child through the challenges that lie ahead?

What You May Be Feeling

If you have just learned that your teen is having a baby, you're probably experiencing a wide range of emotions, from shock and disappointment to grief and worry about the future.

Some parents feel a sense of guilt, thinking that if only they'd done more to protect their child this wouldn't have happened. And although some parents are embarrassed by their teen's pregnancy and worried about how family, friends, and neighbors will react, others are happy about the news of a soon-to-be grandchild — especially if the teen is older and in a mature relationship.

Whatever feelings you're experiencing, this is likely to be a difficult time for your family. The important thing is that your teen needs you now more than ever. Being able to communicate with each other — especially when emotions are running high — is essential. Teens who carry a baby to term have special health concerns, and your daughter will have a healthier pregnancy — emotionally and physically — if she knows she doesn't have to go it alone.

So what can you do as the parent of a teen having a baby? Recognize your feelings and work through them so that you can accept and support her. Does that mean you don't have the right to feel disappointed and even angry? No. Such reactions are common. You might have a strong flood of emotions to deal with, especially at first. But the reality of the upcoming baby means that you'll have to get beyond your initial feelings for the sake of your daughter and her child.

If you need help coping with your feelings about the situation, talk to someone you trust or seek professional counseling. A neutral third party can be a great resource at a time like this.

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What Your Teen May Be Feeling

Just a short time ago your teen's biggest concerns might have been hanging out with her friends and wondering what clothes to wear. Now she's dealing with morning sickness and scheduling prenatal visits. Her world has been turned upside down.

Most unmarried teens don't plan on becoming pregnant, and they're often terrified when it happens. Many, particularly younger teens, keep the news of their pregnancies secret because they fear the anger and disappointment of their parents. Some might even deny to themselves that they are pregnant — which makes it even more important for parents to step in and find medical care for their teen as early in the pregnancy as possible. Younger teens' pregnancies, in particular, are considered high risk because their bodies haven't finished growing and are not yet fully mature.

Teen boys who are going to become fathers also need the involvement of their parents. Although some boys may welcome the chance to be involved with their children, others feel frightened and guilty and may need to be encouraged to face their responsibilities (the father is legally responsible for child support in every state).

That doesn't mean, however, that you should pressure your teen son or daughter into an unwanted marriage. Offer advice, but remember that forcing your opinions on your teen or using threats is likely to backfire in the long run. There's no "one size fits all" solution here. Open communication between you and your teen will help as you consider the future.

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Special Concerns of Pregnant Teens

Even though most teen girls are biologically able to produce healthy babies, whether they do often depends on whether they receive adequate medical care — especially in those critical early months of pregnancy.

Teens who receive proper medical care and take care of themselves are more likely to have healthy babies. Those who don't receive medical care are at greater risk for:

fetal death
high blood pressure
anemia
labor and delivery complications (such as premature labor and stillbirth)
low birth-weight infant

The earlier your teen gets prenatal care, the better her chances for a healthy pregnancy, so bring her to the doctor as soon as possible after finding out she's pregnant. If you need help finding medical care, check with social service groups in the community or at your child's school.

Your teen's health care provider can tell her what to expect during her pregnancy, how to take care of herself and her growing baby, and how to prepare for life as a parent.

Some topics that will be addressed include:

Medical Care

At her first prenatal visit, your teen will probably be given a full physical exam, including blood and urine tests. She'll be screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and for exposure to certain diseases, such as measles, mumps, and rubella.

Her health care provider also will discuss:

how often prenatal visits should be scheduled
what she may be feeling physically and emotionally
what changes she can expect in her body
how to deal with some of the uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy, like nausea and vomiting

Knowing what to expect can help alleviate some of the fears your daughter may have about being pregnant. Her health care provider will probably prescribe a daily prenatal vitamin to make sure she gets enough folic acid, iron, and calcium. Folic acid is especially important during the early weeks of pregnancy, when it plays a role in the healthy development of the neural tube (the structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord).

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Lifestyle Changes

Your teen's health care provider will talk about the lifestyle changes she'll have to make for the health of her baby, including:

not smoking (smoking while pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome)
not drinking (alcohol causes mental and physical birth defects)
not using drugs (drugs are associated with pregnancy complications and fetal death)
not taking in more than 200 mg per day of caffeine (the amount in a 12-ounce cup of coffee)
eating right
getting enough rest
avoiding risky sexual behaviors (such as having unsafe sex)

If your daughter smokes or uses alcohol or other drugs, her health care provider can offer ways to help her quit.

Nutrition

Fast food, soft drinks, sweets — teen diets are notoriously unbalanced. Eating well greatly increases your teen's chances of having a healthy baby, so encourage her to maintain a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads (use the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate as a guide).

Important nutrients include:

proteins (lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, beans, peanut butter, tofu)
calcium (milk and other dairy products)
iron (lean red meats, spinach, iron-fortified cereals)
folic acid (green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, fortified cereals)

Drinking plenty of water is essential, too.

Pregnancy is not the time for your daughter to go on a diet. When pregnant, some teens might be tempted to counter normal pregnancy weight gain by cutting calories or exercising excessively — both of which can seriously harm their babies.

If you suspect that your teen has an unhealthy preoccupation with her weight, talk to her health care provider.

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Exercise

If your teen was physically fit before getting pregnant and is not experiencing any pregnancy complications, her health care provider will probably encourage her to continue exercising.

Most women benefit from getting some exercise during pregnancy, although they might have to modify their activity. Low-impact exercises, such as walking and swimming, are best. Have your daughter discuss her exercise plans with her health care provider early on.

Stress

Most teens enter parenthood unprepared for the stress a new baby brings, and many experience frustration, resentment, and even anger toward their newborns — which may explain why teen parents are at higher risk for abusing and neglecting their babies.

You may want to talk with your teen's doctor to discuss ways you can help her manage her stress levels so that she can better cope with changes in her life. She also may want to spend some time with other parents of newborns to get a better sense of what caring for a baby involves.

Prenatal Classes

Your daughter's health care provider will probably recommend that she take classes on pregnancy, giving birth, and parenting. These classes (some of which are held just for teens) can help prepare her for the practical side of parenthood by teaching skills such as feeding, diapering, child safety, and other basic baby care techniques.

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Preparing for New Responsibilities

Many practical issues must be considered. Will your teen keep the baby or consider adoption? If she keeps it, will she raise the baby herself? Will she continue to go to school? Will the father be involved in the baby's life? Who will be financially responsible for the baby?

The answers to these questions often depend on the support your daughter receives. Some teens raise their child alone, some have the involvement of the baby's father, and some rely on their families for support.

As a parent, you need to think about your own level of involvement and commitment and discuss it with your teen. How much support — financial and otherwise — are you willing and able to offer? Will your daughter and her child live with you? Will you help pay for food, clothing, doctor visits, and necessary items like a car seat and stroller? Can you assist with childcare while your she's at school and/or work? A social worker or counselor can help you and your teen sort through some of these issues.

If at all possible, it's best for girls who are pregnant to finish school so they can get better jobs and create a better life for themselves and their babies. This is no easy task — 60% to 70% of all pregnant teens drop out of school. And going back after quitting is especially hard, so try to offer your daughter the support she needs to stay in school — both she and the baby will benefit. Check for school and community programs that offer special services for teen mothers, such as childcare, transportation, or tutoring.

Help your teen understand that as rewarding as having a child is, it isn't always fun — caring for a baby is a huge responsibility and a lifelong commitment. Prepare her for the reality that she won't have as much time for the things she used to do — that her life is about change and the baby will take priority.

As a parent, you can have a great impact on your teen's life and on her baby's. You may still wish that she had made different choices. But by supporting your daughter, making sure she gets good prenatal care, and listening as she shares her fears and anxieties, both of you may find that you're better parents in the long run.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

Date reviewed: September 2016

17 and Pregnant: A Guide for Teens and Parents

Last Updated on October 27, 2021 by Elise Schiller

Teen pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy refers to teens around 15 to 19 years old who are pregnant. So, if you are 17 and pregnant, that counts as teenage pregnancy. Refer to this article to learn what you need to know and what you should do in terms of teen pregnancy.

Being 17 and pregnant can burden you physically, emotionally, and makes you worried about the future.

The phenomenon of early pregnancy turns out to be the reason for the deaths of many female adolescents in the world. Pregnant teenage girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth compared to mature women above 20 years old.

According to the CDC, there were 194,377 babies born to teenagers in 2017. This statistic is going down due to more sexually active teenagers are aware of birth control.

These days, teenagers are abstaining from sexual activity compared to in previous years.

However, teen pregnancy in the United States remains substantially higher than in other western nations. It also varies according to ethnicity.

Teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S. by ethnicity 2014

If you are 17 years old and pregnant, recognize the risk of teen pregnancy below.

Guide for Teens Who Are 17 and Pregnant

This section will discuss teen pregnancy and aim to educate teenagers who are 17 and pregnant. If you are a parent of a pregnant teen, you may also read this part, or skip to the section for parents.

17 and Pregnant, Teenage Pregnancy Infographic

Teen pregnancy and childbirth come with both short and long-term risks for you and your child.

You may have a lower chance of graduating from high school
Teen pregnancy contributes to a significant number of high school dropout rates among teen girls. Only 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma when they turn 22.
Your child may face more difficulties in life
Your children may have lower school achievement and drop out of high school, tend to have health problems, and face unemployment as a young adult.

17 and Pregnant: The Health Risk of Teen Pregnancy

Getting pregnant and giving birth when you are under 18 years old is much riskier. This is in comparison to those who are pregnant at the age of 20-30 years. Some risks due to a teen pregnancy are:

#1. Lower maternal and infant mortality

Around the world, especially in developing countries, there are about 50,000 teenage girls aged 15-19 years who die each year during pregnancy or during childbirth.

About one million babies born to teenage girls also die before they reach one year of age.

Babies of a mother who gives birth under the age of 18 are 60% more likely to die before the babies reach the age of one.

The younger you are as a teen mother, the greater the risks you and your baby will face at childbirth.

It is because your body is generally not ready for labor, partly because your pelvis is narrow.

How to prevent: Visit your OBGYN to get diagnosed early and identify any risks that could happen. Your healthcare providers may offer Caesarean-section delivery, which requires some preparations.

An early visit to doctors means you will have a greater chance to survive the pregnancy and childbirth with a healthy baby on your side.

#2. Risk of abnormalities in babies

Pregnant teens who receive little to no support from their family or partner, are at high risk of not receiving adequate care during pregnancy. This may affect your condition as a pregnant mother to your child.

Pregnancy is an important period that is prone to complications. Inadequate nutritional needs can cause birth defects or abnormalities.

How to prevent: Eat a healthy, nutritious, and balanced diet. Get enough folic acid as early as possible after you know you are pregnant.

#3. High blood pressure and premature babies

Being 17 and pregnant means you are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure and preeclampsia than those who are pregnant at the age of 20 to 30.

This condition can also interfere with fetal development, causing complications such as premature babies.

Teens who conceive under the age of 18 are more at risk of giving birth to premature babies and experiencing complications.

Babies who are born before 32 weeks will be exposed to the risk of respiratory problems, digestion, vision, and development problems.

How to prevent: Get a thorough medical check-up to recognize early signs of illness and risks of complications.

#4. Babies are born below normal weight

Women who become pregnant at a very young age are at high risk of giving birth to babies with very low body weight, less than 1.5 kg.

This may be due to preterm birth or under 37 weeks of gestation.

Babies who have low body weight will need special care to help them breathe after birth.

How to prevent: Due to its nature that underweight babies are premature, trust your healthcare provider and listen to their advice after childbirth.

#5. Depression

Teenage girls are more at risk for postpartum depression because they feel unprepared, especially if they do not receive support from their family or partners.

You may experience prenatal depression or postpartum depression.

Prenatal depression may prevent you to take proper care of your pregnancy, resulting in an unmaintained pregnancy, greater risks at childbirth, and deformity.

Postpartum depression may prevent you to properly take care of your baby after childbirth.

A teenage girl who experiences an unplanned pregnancy also often faces pressure from many parties in various forms.

For example, the urge to opt for abortion, fear of judgment from society, or worry about the financial ability to care for the baby in the future.

How to prevent: Seek support from people you are most comfortable talking with. Communicate your pregnancy to your partner. Get help from psychologists when you are experiencing any symptoms of depression, anxiety, or experience difficulty sleeping.

Is it OK to be pregnant at 17?

If you are 17 years old and pregnant, the pregnancy can pose risks to you and your baby. Some complications that can increase the pregnancy risks to young mothers are:

Bleeding
Risk of death
Undeveloped fetus or newborn death
Premature birth
Underweight newborn
High blood pressure
Anemia
Postpartum depression

Teen pregnancy in general has not only medical impacts on you but can also psychological impacts on your family and your baby.

However, with proper prenatal care and regular visit to healthcare providers, you may lower the risks above.

17 and Pregnant, Minimizing Risk for Childbirth

Even though the risk of conceiving and giving birth at a young age is very high, there are ways you can take to ensure safety and a healthy newborn.

If you’re 17 and pregnant, then these are steps you should do;

Perform routine checks at the OBGYN to minimize risks that can be prevented since the early stage of pregnancy.
Eat a well-nourished diet, take the supplements given by your doctor. Avoid stress.
Eat healthy foods. Especially pregnant supplements containing folic acid 0.4 mg per day for the development of the baby’s nervous system.
Refrain from drugs, alcohol, and smoking.
Seek support from your closest relatives and friends to prepare yourself mentally.
Do not feel ashamed, doubtful, or afraid to participate in various counseling regarding sexual health and reproductive organs.
Enrich yourself with various personal health and safety information regarding childbirth.
See a counselor or counseling group who can help you get information or make decisions about relationships, pregnancy, or adoption.
From the start, prepare yourself to be a parent through reading, articles, and parenting knowledge you can obtain both online and through seminars.
Visit mental healthcare providers if you feel any sign of prenatal depression such as;
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Sadness, hopelessness, or feeling overwhelmed
- Frequent crying or crying easily
- A lack of energy or motivation
- Reduced or increased appetite
- Sleep problems, either sleeping too much or too little
- Difficulty focusing or making decisions
- Memory problems
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Headaches, body aches, pains, or stomach problems that seem different from morning sickness.

Guide for Parents of Pregnant Teens

When you just learned that your 17-year-old is pregnant and having a baby, you may be shocked, disappointed, and may worry about your daughter’s future and her baby’s.

You may also experience anger or guilt, knowing that you should have done more to protect your daughter. Some parents may be embarrassed knowing that their daughter is pregnant and worried about how people around them will react.

But at this time, your teen needs you more than ever.

Most teens who are in relationships and sexually active don’t intend to get pregnant. But when it happens, they are terrified.

Many teens keep the pregnancy to themselves and concealed it from their family in fear of disappointment and anger from their parents.

Some teens choose to handle things on their own and try to abort the baby while risking their health condition.

That’s why you need to step right in and as early as possible to prevent further damage to your daughter and her child. Get involved in the teen boy’s side of the family and discuss how you want to manage the problem.

Although some teen boys may accept the baby, many are frightened by the idea that they have to provide for the baby as fathers are legally responsible for child support in every state in the United States.

But you should not push them into an unwanted marriage. Refrain from pushing your opinion to them and communicate openly about what they want.

Your teen is already under great pressure from the pregnancy. Scolding or blaming her condition will not improve the situation. Instead, provide both physical and mental support for your teen and offer help in case they need help dealing with her pregnancy.

What You Should Do When Your Daughter Is 17 and Pregnant

Help her to get checked by an OBGYN to check for STDs and validate her pregnancy.
Help her to schedule prenatal visits.
Pay close attention to her behavior. Ask her how she feels physically and emotionally.
Explain what may happen to her as the due date is coming.
Explain how to deal with morning sickness, nausea, and vomiting.
Ensure your daughter follows the doctor’s advice.
Help provide healthy food with enough folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Help her to get enough nutrients from lean meat, fish, egg whites, beans, tofu, milk and dairy products, spinach, fruits, and vegetables.
Help her to manage stress.
Assist her in prenatal classes and parenting classes.
Tell her how much support (financial and otherwise) you are willing and able to offer.
When possible, allow your daughter to finish school. It will create better opportunities for them as they will be able to get better jobs.
Prepare her to face reality where she is now a mother and responsible for her baby. Explain that her world will change and the baby will be the priority.

There is no one solution that fits all. Parents and pregnant teens need to have open communication and decide for themselves.

Knowing the risks of teen pregnancy may help you navigate the situation and direct where you want to go. Learn to identify what bothers you the most, write them down, and find solutions for each problem.

For example, if you are worried about financial support, discuss with the boy’s side of the family, and ask how much they are willing to offer.

If you are afraid of being a parent and thinking that you are not ready for it, remember that even adults are not always 100% ready to have a baby.

Being 17 and pregnant affects your future greatly, but people have proven that they can still live a great life with their children, without the option of abortion.

Early pregnancy and childbirth in adolescence

For all questions, please contact:

Kyiv (Poznyaki)
st. A. Akhmatova 31

+38(096) 683-06-18
+38(063) 217-14-64

General information. In medical practice, there are episodes when young pregnant women need obstetric care (a primipara is called young if she gave birth before the age of 18). Her pregnancy proceeds, undoubtedly, in unusual conditions associated with the immaturity of adaptive mechanisms.

The heavy burden on the immature, immature body due to pregnancy is a serious test.

Pregnancy in girls under 8 years of age becomes possible in case of accelerated puberty. At the age of 9 to 16 years, pregnancy can occur even in cases where the dynamics of puberty is not ahead of the norm.

Classification of pregnancy. A distinction is made between pregnancy that occurred before puberty (violent ovulation occurs long before puberty) and pregnancy in a woman who has already entered puberty. In these two groups, the features of the course of pregnancy and childbirth and, of course, the tactics of their management differ significantly. In particular, during pregnancy and childbirth during puberty, there are fewer complications than at a younger age.

In addition, cases of pregnancy that occur in girls without signs of precocious puberty (on the one hand) and those who have them (on the other) are to be distinguished. With premature puberty, pregnancy often occurs with its true variant than with pathological (on the basis of a tumor, etc.).

The effect of pregnancy on a girl's body. There is no doubt that pregnancy, if it occurs at a young age, accelerates the processes of somatic and puberty. The secretion of estrogen and progesterone is not inferior to that of adult pregnant women.

Changes in the bone pelvis are especially evident, which during pregnancy in 13-15-year-olds can reach the size characteristic of 16-18 years old. However, the outer conjugate increases more slowly than the other outer dimensions. Of the young primiparous, 10.7% of births proceed in the presence of an anatomically narrowed pelvis; at the same time, to a greater extent than in adult women, hydrophilicity and elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus, symphysis and cartilaginous zones are expressed. All this provides some flexibility of the bone ring.

We have to observe how in a girl without pronounced secondary sexual characteristics before pregnancy, they appear even if the pregnancy was terminated at an early date.

As for the mental reactions of young pregnant women, according to our observations, they correspond to age, but do not outstrip it. Psychopathies and psychoses are rare, mostly with rape (reactive psychosis). A number of character traits revealed in this group are explained by the shortcomings of education. So, after polling 79underage pregnant women, they stated the predominance of their independent character, a tendency to experiment, impracticality, poverty of the emotional world, bad manners.

Features of the course of pregnancy in adolescence. Pregnancy proceeds, as a rule, favorably. Its duration is 38 ± 0.9 weeks, i.e., slightly less than in adult women. Prematurity is 3%. Overlapping is almost not observed. Multiple pregnancy in young is less common (1: 100) than in older age groups.

Early toxicosis was diagnosed by us in isolated cases. Complication of pregnancy by late toxicosis is observed, according to our data, in 0.5%, which is 20 times less than usual. In the literature, there are completely different figures for the frequency of late toxicosis: 46-65.29%.

According to the opinion of the cited authors, pregnancy at a young age is generally complicated by 40-70%. This is significantly different from our data (no more than 5%), as well as from the opinion of W. Stockel, M. Shash and L. Kovacs (1967). Such a significant difference in the nature of the course of pregnancy is undoubtedly due to different tactics of management, in particular, the regular medical supervision adopted in the IMMI clinic throughout pregnancy and carefully observed preventive hospitalization.

Diagnosis of early pregnancy. Diagnosis of pregnancy at a young age is based on the identification of the same supposed, probable and undoubted signs as in adult women, however, the diagnosis is often established with a delay, that is, with the appearance of precisely reliable signs.

The main obstacle to correct and timely diagnosis is the young pregnant woman herself, who, due to a number of circumstances, either does not suspect pregnancy or hides the appearance of dubious (subjective) signs of pregnancy. Sometimes a person whom the girl especially trusts learns about pregnancy for the first time: a school teacher, a pioneer leader, etc.
Often, the first diagnosis of pregnancy is made by the district pediatrician during examination and palpation of the abdomen.
Diagnostic errors in establishing pregnancy at a young age are a fairly common phenomenon. Even at the stage of acquaintance with the anamnesis, the assurances of the relatives accompanying the girl that "pregnancy is impossible here" lead to a medical error.

The integrity of the hymen or the absence of its integrity is not of decisive diagnostic value. Characteristically, in the first trimester of pregnancy, there is insufficient softening of the uterus, some lag in its size from the timing of the delay in menstruation, and a moderate severity of a group of probable signs based on ascertaining softening of the isthmus.
In addition to the generally accepted clinical diagnostic methods, one should not forget about the existence of such additional methods as the determination of placental lactogen, chorionic gonadotropin, abdominal radiography, ultrasound diagnostics, phono- and electrocardiography of the fetus.

In the process of differential diagnosis, it becomes necessary to distinguish pregnancy from the following diseases: anomalies in the development of the uterus, kidney prolapse, tumors of the small pelvis or abdominal cavity, obesity (often accompanied by amenorrhea), primary ectopic pregnancy (often in the right fallopian tube).

Pregnancy management. The very fact of establishing a pregnancy diagnosis imposes additional responsibility on the doctor for the fate of a young mother and her child. First of all, we have to resolve the issue of the possibility of carrying pregnancy and giving birth with minimal damage to health. The decision must be strictly individual. The age of the girl and the gestational age are decisive. Stereotypical decisions aimed at, say, unconditional termination of pregnancy can be harmful, as there are situations, especially in the second trimester, in which the risk associated with termination outweighs the health damage from the burden of pregnancy and childbirth.

In healthy girls of 15-17 years of age in the first trimester, a positive decision on the issue of leaving the pregnancy is preferable, because pregnancy and childbirth are usually successful. At the same time, the risk of complications associated with induced abortion at a young age is greater than in adult women. In the presence of serious illnesses or the occurrence of complications that threaten health, an abortion is undertaken according to the relevant indications.

If a schoolgirl has a full term pregnancy, then school attendance is undesirable for ethical and pedagogical reasons. In addition, the study load adversely affects the formation of gestational dominance and can be an etiological moment in the development of late toxicosis of pregnant women. We must not forget that the need for frequent hospitalization also does not favor the continuation of studies.

The girl is registered in the antenatal clinic and periodically (at least 3 times during pregnancy) goes to the antenatal department, where an in-depth monitoring of her health and the development of the fetus is carried out. Preventive or curative measures are taken as needed; in particular, foci of latent infection are eliminated and the vagina is sanitized. Particular attention in the hospital is given to physio-psycho-prophylactic preparation for childbirth, since this is difficult to implement in the antenatal clinic.

Given that at a young age, childbirth occurs 1-2 weeks earlier than in adult women, the last admission to the hospital should be made no later than 36-37 weeks of pregnancy. During this time, the next examination is carried out, preparations for childbirth are carried out and a plan for their maintenance is drawn up.

The course of childbirth. The course and outcomes of childbirth significantly depend on the girl's belonging to a certain age group. If at the age of 14 and younger the percentage of severe complications is high (15), then in the group of 15-17 years the percentage of complications decreases sharply (1-2).

In parturient women under 14 years of age, the following structure of the main complications in childbirth can be outlined:

a) clinical discrepancy between the fetal head and the mother's pelvis,
b) weakness of labor activity,
c) injuries of the birth canal,
d) hypotonic bleeding (listed in descending order).

At the same time, in women in labor 15-17 years old, the structure of complications is somewhat different:

a) rapid delivery,
b) primary weakness of labor,
c) rupture of the cervix and perineum,
d) hypotonic bleeding.

Thus, most of the complications owe their genesis to a violation of the contractility of the uterus, due to both the immaturity of the regulatory links and the inferiority of the executive tissues (myometrium).
Birth management. Delivery of young pregnant women should be carried out in highly qualified institutions, preferably those with specialists with relevant experience and round-the-clock anesthesia and pediatric services. The doctor and midwife require a special approach to the young woman in labor, dictated by the need to reckon with the unusual position, emotional lability, low threshold of pain sensitivity and the constant threat of complications for the mother and fetus.

In the first stage of labor, in parallel with careful monitoring of the dynamics of structural changes in the cervix (external methods are preferred, for example, the Rogovin method), it is necessary to prescribe antispasmodic agents, thereby reducing pain.
The use of anesthesia is based on a sufficient choice of means. The widespread use of painkillers is not justified in cases where there is a high possibility of a clinical discrepancy between the fetal head and the mother's pelvis. For the same reasons, the appointment of strong uterine stimulants is contraindicated.

Surgical interventions among young women in labor are undertaken no more often than usual in clinical practice: perineotomy - in 12%, obstetric forceps - in 1%, caesarean section - in 0.5%. Vacuum extraction of the fetus is not used at all. Those authors who point to a high incidence of late toxicosis in young pregnant women, naturally, give a high percentage of operative delivery (17-22%).

In pregnant women under the age of 14 years (especially younger than 12), it is more likely than at an older age to tend to delivery by caesarean section in a planned manner at term 39-40 weeks. The determining circumstances are the size of the pelvis, the nature of the presentation, the estimated weight of the fetus and the state of health of the girl. 1-3 hours before the production of caesarean section, the fetal bladder is opened. This achieves gradual emptying of the uterus and, consequently, the prevention of hypotonic bleeding and lochiometers.

If the doctor has a hope for a spontaneous completion of labor, then at first he conducts labor conservatively; in the future, the appearance of complications makes it necessary to proceed with operative delivery. With modern anesthesia, a caesarean section poses no greater risk for a pregnant woman under 14 years of age than, for example, delivery per vias naturales or a fetus-destroying operation. In addition, during the abdominal surgery, it is possible to revise the pelvic organs, in particular, to assess the condition of the ovaries.

Transfer to the postpartum department after spontaneous delivery and examination of the soft birth canal is usually carried out not after 2-4 hours, but after 10-12 hours due to fear of not noticing the onset of hypotonic bleeding.

In the postpartum period, the issue of breastfeeding is solved in different ways, depending on the plans of the guardians, the adoptive parents of the child. In relation to women in childbirth under the age of 14 and older who refuse children, measures are taken to stop lactation. Subsequently, a visit by a girl to the same group of students, obviously, cannot be considered justified from a pedagogical point of view.

Thus, pregnancy imposes additional requirements on all organs and systems of a young pregnant woman, which, due to age characteristics, are in a state of functional stress. Our experience convinces us that careful monitoring of such pregnant women in a antenatal clinic and especially a hospital, timely and targeted correction of the observed deviations, as well as careful management of childbirth naturally reduce the number of complications.

Pregnancy of a minor » Verkhnesaldinskaya Central City Hospital

Case from practice. Arina, 16 years old. pregnancy discovered mother, when she asked her daughter why the pads do not decrease, and Arina replied that She hasn't had her period for a long time. Arina had two sexual intercourses with her friend. On the By the time the pregnancy was established, they had already separated. Mother took Arina to abortion, but it turned out that the period was already 5 months, it was too late to have an abortion. Them offered to induce artificial labor, but the doctor explained the danger of such procedures for the health and life of a girl. Mom refused it and decided keep the pregnancy. Arina completely followed the opinion and words of the mother. The girl looked lost She was in a state of shock, most of the time she was silent. child's father and his parents refused to participate in the fate of the child.

there was a violation of Arina's contact with her peers. Friends went to discos, talked about boys, dressed up, and the girl was with them no longer interested. Arina tried to read about pregnancy, childbirth, children, but She had no opportunity to discuss this with anyone except her mother. By childbirth, the girl is already practically did not communicate with her friends, she was more alone, she said that together became completely uninteresting.

The second problem area was her attitude to childbirth. The girl was very afraid of them, but at the same time refused to go to training courses to childbirth at female consultation. This was probably due to the general motherhood resistance. After the birth of the child, this was expressed in a rapid the disappearance of milk and the transfer of the daughter to artificial nutrition.

with a lack of understanding of the needs of the child. Arina at first led quite aloofly herself with the child, her tension was felt when she took her daughter in her arms. The girl spoke little to her, was embarrassed to do this in front of strangers. It's hard for her I had to understand how you can communicate with a child who does not yet speak. Arina's mother assumed the main function of interaction with the child, and the girl tried to repeat what her mother does.

Case from practice. Anastasia, 16 years old. Young woman got pregnant while vacationing at a children's camp. Parents were in shock a real scandal broke out, my father had a heart attack. But Nastya clearly stated that she would give birth. On the side of the girl was her eldest nineteen-year-old sister Marina. The girls together reassured their parents, convinced them to have a baby. Nastya was in a euphoric, enthusiastic condition. Went to childbirth preparation courses at the antenatal clinic, in on the Internet on various forums I communicated with other pregnant women and young mothers, transferred to school at home schooling, began to prepare things for newborn, choose a name. The birth was easy. The girl was breastfeeding constantly talking and playing with the child. Easily and joyfully interacted with daughter. The girl kept contacts with her friends, many of them came sit with the baby, bring gifts.

Nastya after the birth of a child, many new friends appeared - young mothers. The girl builds educational plans. She decided to become a hairdresser, she is already moonlighting, doing simple haircuts and hairstyles at home. The girl does not think

that the child can be a barrier to privacy. When my daughter was six months old, she dating a young man, the relationship has been going on for 8 months.

Generalization: As can be seen from these two cases, a lot depends on the personality maturity of the girl, her psychological characteristics and awareness of motherhood. Arina was quiet, closed, little contact girl, for whom adaptation to motherhood turned out to be a complex and lengthy process. Nastya, on the contrary, gladly accepted the role of mother as a new and colorful stage in her life, strongly and confidently defended her decision to give birth to a child, actively builds and implements plans for future. However, certain features can be identified specifically for this age group of pregnant women.

Problematic zones of this age group:

1. Certain physiological and psychological unpreparedness for the birth and upbringing of a child.

Psychological research data show about the distorted formation of the maternal sphere, unformed motivation motherhood and infantile attitude to pregnancy in adolescent girls, expecting a child. They are more susceptible to pressure in their decision making. family and social environment. For example, Galin A.P. examined

80 underage girls who terminated pregnancy. During the anonymous When questioning a girl, the most common reason for an abortion was: negative attitude towards the pregnancy of relatives, the desire not to burden one's own personal life, lack of conditions for raising a child, desire to continue study, work. When asked what the girl would do if these obstacles were removed, 60% answered that they would keep the pregnancy, and 40%, that they would still have an abortion. It can be assumed that these 40% belong to group psychologically unprepared for motherhood, and the remaining 60% were under the influence of the social environment.

2. As a rule, the absence of a husband, or, if he is the same age, his unwillingness to create complete family.

Often the father of the child is also a minor, therefore, cannot provide support to the pregnant woman, disclaiming responsibility for pregnancy. But there is evidence of what is being said about minors. fathers is not entirely correct. A number of studies have shown that young girls in the majority cases conceive children from young adults. For example, Galin A.P. on a sample of teenage girls showed that their sexual partners were 3-4 years older, their mean age was 21.7+/-0.9of the year. At the main motives for the beginning of sexual activity were "falling in love, love" - 66%; "curiosity and interest" -35%; violence in one form or another - 14% of cases. Girls began sexual activity at an average age of 15.0+/-0.2 years, and their gynecological age (the number of years a person has sexual contacts) at the time of abortion - about 5 years.

Terms "molestation" and "age of consent". In this state of affairs, it is important there is a question about the legality of the existing sexual relations, due to which the girl became pregnant.

Corruption (Art. 134, 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) - involvement of a minor (underage) in the commission actions of a sexual nature. Without the use of physical or mental violence. Sexual molestation is usually understood as being committed by an adult. purposeful actions that cause the child to have an untimely increased interest in sexuality, sexual fantasies, sensations, desires, and sexual activity with a child (including sexual intercourse in one or another form) without the use of violence, using curiosity and inexperience child. Both articles dealt with sexual acts against juveniles committed without the use of violence, otherwise they qualify as rape or sexual assault. character

and punished in accordance with the relevant articles.

Age sexual consent. Debating in jurisprudence the question is, at what age can sexual intercourse be considered acceptable? intercourse with the voluntary consent of the partner. Of course, this age cannot be greater than the age of majority, but in most cases it set at a lower level. In many countries of the world, age consent less than 16 years.

In Germany, China, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Austria, Italy, Chile - 14 years; in Argentina, Spain, Japan and South Korea - 13 years. In Russia, the age of consent is 16 years (the law of 2003).

Additions to the criminal and family codes of the Russian Federation. In most legislations, the age of marriage is higher than the age of sexual consent. In the Russian Federation, according to part 1 of Art. 13 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation, The marriageable age is set at 18 (and the age of sexual consent is set at 16 years). In addition, the Family Code in Parts 2 and 3 of Art. 13 provides the possibility of reducing the age of marriage to 16 years at the request of persons wishing to get married, if there are good reasons by decision of the local government at the place of residence of persons; and in exceptional circumstances and in cases provided for by the laws of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, marriage may be permitted upon reaching the age of 14 years.

In the event that the marital relationship consists of persons, one of which has reached the age of 18, and the other has not reached the age of sexual consent, then sexual intercourse between them is not a crime, but this the norm applies only to sexual contacts after marriage, that is, even after the registration of the marriage, the senior partner may be involved in responsibility for sexual intercourse committed up to this point. July 27, 2009 year, amendments were made to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which a person brought to justice for the first time for sexual intercourse with the victim (or victim), who has reached the age of 14, but has not reached the age of 16, may be released from punishment in connection with marriage to the victim or victim.

Underage pregnancy may result in angry state of parents who want to take out their anger on their father child and punish him

for pregnancy through criminal prosecution. Threat to plant child's father behind bars in the event of the birth of a child can be used adults to put pressure on a young girl to force her to have an abortion. And herself a teenager may not know the true picture of things and succumb to provocation. AT In other situations, there may be a real need to involve responsibility of an adult man who seduced a girl, but does not want to take take responsibility for the consequences.

Returning to the relationship with the child's father, then the statistics of the reaction to the news about pregnancy in the group of young mothers are not particularly different from other age groups.

So, for example, Prokhorova O.V. and Russian S.V. examined 98 young pregnant women in age from 14 to 18 years to study the characteristics of the reactions of the father of the child to the first news of a pregnancy: only 13.3% of future women experienced joy fathers. Calmness and some restraint showed a quarter of partners of young women - 25. 5%. The proportion of men who continued relationships with patients and trying to persuade them to have a medical abortion, amounted to 33.7% of cases. extreme degree negative attitude towards pregnancy was manifested in the fact that future fathers ceased any kind of relationship with their partners, which was noted in 23.5%; in 4.1% of cases, the girls themselves, after realizing the fact of the onset pregnancies, were the initiators of breaking up relationships with their partners.

3. Dependence in decision-making on parents.

independently decide whether to have an abortion or to keep the pregnancy without informing this parents. But if everything is quite simple with an abortion, she did it secretly and everything then with the birth of a child - much more difficult. As a rule, a young girl lives with parents, is fully supported by them. Therefore, decide on Preserving a child without parental support is almost impossible. girl you need to dress, feed the child. In most cases, she will live with newborns from parents. Therefore, their consent or disagreement to the birth the child is often critical. Because of this aspect of the situation, young girls often choose to have an abortion just to avoid talking to their parents. Fear of their reaction can outweigh all other arguments of the mind and heart.

4. Strong emotional reaction of the family to pregnancy news.

A woman of any age may experience negative attitude towards their pregnancy on the part of relatives, but in a young age - this reaction is especially bright and has its own specifics. For parents underage pregnant women are often characterized by: a sense of guilt that they did not save, they didn't look after their daughter; denial - do not notice obvious signs for a long time pregnancy; sense of increased responsibility for the decision trust their daughter in deciding the outcome of the pregnancy).

Fragment of social advertising for parents (Kristina Pavlova). Here is an excerpt from a brochure for parents (PSA), which very accurately reflects the emotional background in the family with the news about pregnancy of a minor girl:

For young, unmarried girls - especially for adolescents living at home - almost always the strongest is the desire to hide pregnancy from parents, this desire leads hundreds of girls to abortion every day: “My mom is going to go crazy!”, “Father will kill me!”, “It will break their hearts - they shouldn't know about it." Think about it: minors can do abortion, and the parents won't even know about it. Your teenage daughter can decide pregnancy problem without your participation. Of course, find out that your daughter became pregnant under not the most beautiful circumstances, is test, one of many in the life of parents. In fact, your emotions can match her emotions: fear for her future, denial, guilt, etc. And besides, most likely you will feel anger, which can be expressed differently. You are angry with your daughter for her imprudence, for not listened to your advice, did not listen to good instructions, disobeyed you, etc. Are you angry at the man (or guy) who abused your trust and well-being of your daughter for your own pleasure. You angry at the whole culture that allows irresponsible sex to flood TV screens and rock music. Perhaps you are angry with yourself - in many ways reasons. Have you been too strict or too soft, too busy or too tired to be interested in her world for the last few months. And now, here's what happened...

Classic for you The Chinese character for "crisis" is of great importance in this situation. The hieroglyph consists of two others, meaning the words "danger" and "opportunity". The danger is that pregnancy can become a wound for your family to heal. which may take years. Abortion at a young age is especially dangerous subsequent infertility. By pushing her to have an abortion now, you can forever be without grandchildren. Threatening, cursing, scolding, you risk destroying love and trust between you and your child, and then in another difficult life period she simply will not come to you, because she will not believe in your help. The opportunity is that you can earn your daughter's respect to the end. life. You can help her grow up, learn to take responsibility for her deeds. You can help bring your loved one into the world grandson.

5. Social difficulties associated with the need to complete education and get a job.

Acting as a young mother in an industrialized country can influence its education. Teenage mothers are thought to be more likely to drop out of high school. Research found that many teenage mothers dropped out of school before how to become pregnant, and those of them who studied at school during their pregnancies, also often completed their schooling, like their peers. The need to complete education is one of the main reasons that called minors when choosing abortion. But most often behind this argument the deeper psychological motives of the girl or her relatives are hidden. If and before she skipped school, had poor academic performance, then the fear of being left without education is connected primarily with past experience, and not with the present pregnancy. If the girl is good studies, then pregnancy will not reduce her abilities, it’s just that sometimes you need to choose other alternative form of education (free attendance, evening school and etc.).

6. They don't know their rights.

Minors are most often poorly informed about their legal rights, cannot assert their rights to the child.

7. High risk of infertility after abortion.

The pregnant woman should also be aware of the particular danger abortion at an age when the body is not fully formed, which may affect in future. The percentage of development of gynecological diseases is very high and secondary infertility after abortion in a minor.

8. Negative stereotypes from society.

Society as a whole is dominated by a negative attitude to underage pregnant women, they can be expressed in different labels, which people "hang" on the girl, even if this is not true: "she is a bad mother", "probably from a bad, drinking family", "her child will be unhappy, abandoned, difficult", "she is a walking, depraved. " The strong emotions of the girl's relatives are often caused by fear of opinion. surrounding, in front of these negative stereotypes.

It is important to say that negative stereotypes in regarding underage pregnant women are of a sociocultural nature. On the for many centuries, women married at 12, 13, 14 years old, and gave birth to children correspondingly also early. Here are just a few examples from history: The Queen England in the thirteenth century. Eleanor of Provence was 14, 16 and 17 years old when she gave birth her first three children with her husband, King Henry III of England: respectively the future King of England Edward I, Margaret of England and Beatrice of England. Mary of Bohun, first wife of King Henry IV of England, gave birth to her first child Edward at the age of 13 years. Lady Marguerite Beaufort aged 13 gave birth to her only child, who later became King Henry of England VII. These examples could go on and on.

Until the 20th century, a girl by the age of 15-16 was completely psychologically ready for marriage: she was trained to manage all cases according to household, according to her class, on the example of the younger children of the family was preparing to the birth and upbringing of their own children. From the age of 13, as a rule, they began negotiations of parents with the families of potential grooms about the possibility of matchmaking.

In the 20th century, the age limit for readiness to join in marriage and childbearing began to rise rapidly, and is now at the level completion of secondary education, i.e. 18 years. Under the age of 18, a teenager is practically has no chance to earn and provide for himself, but how As a result, we are financially dependent on our parents. Until legal age the teenager is under parental care, which does not allow him to take take full responsibility for your life. Moreover, in our society, even mere entry into the age of majority does not mean a psychological growing up of a young man, since he still continues to be on maintenance of parents. All this contributes to the prolongation of age. psychological infantilism, and slows down the maturation of a young girl for mother's role.

9. Often, judgment from an underage mother is transferred to the child. There are studies that emphasize the negative impact on development child of the fact of the minority of his mother. Figures have been received for a higher statistics of poor school performance, jail time for boys, and early sexual intercourse and childbirth for girls born to young mothers. There is evidence that teenage mothers are less likely to caress your children with touches, smiles or sounds, or being sensitive and attentive to the needs of the child. In society, one can observe the presence of sympathetic - a negative attitude towards a child born to a young mother. They pity him in advance and predict an unhappy difficult future. Often the argument that the child will feel flawed that his mother will not be able to properly educate him and as a result, when he grows up, he will not be able to achieve anything in life, is given by the parents of the pregnant woman and by herself to explain the abortion. Such cases, it is important to say that the upbringing of the child, the development of his spiritual world and subsequent success in life are determined not by the age of the mother, but by her desire to love and care for the child. You can give examples of mothers older people who leave their children, and 16 their mothers who do everything possible and impossible for their baby.

Known Teenage parents and their children: In 1917, 17-year-old Kamala Nehru gave birth to a daughter, Indira (later Prime Minister India). Ann Dunham got pregnant at 17 and at the age of 18, in 1961, she gave birth to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. Dwayne has Michael Carter Jr. famous rap artist known as "Lil' Wayne", daughter Regina was born by now ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Johnson when he was 15 and she was 14. The presence of a child did not prevent him from achieving huge popularity in the United States and earn a good fortune.

10. Increased risk of child abandonment after birth.

phenomenon, such as child abandonment, in young mothers is 2-3 times higher than this rate in older women. Researchers cite 2 main reasons such failure statistics:

a) Late detection of pregnancy and contacting a doctor. So those girls who wanted to have an abortion, forced to give birth. But, not wanting to take on the role of a mother, prefer to abandon the child.

b) Fear of disclosure of pregnancy before family. Such girls can keep pregnancy due to late diagnosis or because of pity for the child. In those cases when a girl feels sympathy and tenderness for a child and does not want to kill him, fear of the reaction of her parents deprives her of the strength to defend herself in front of them their right to motherhood. In such cases, most often there are violations the relationship of a girl with her own mother, when she stubbornly “does not notice” signs of pregnancy daughter.

c) Family pressure. If in previous types of situations, the girls hid the pregnancy from the family, in this case - relatives know about the pregnancy and it is they who force the girl to take this step.

In these situations, work with the social surrounded by a pregnant woman, because it is extremely difficult to cope without their support.

It is important to identify the level of "psychological maturity, adulthood" girls. Understand how she is personally ready to accept the role of a mother, at what stage of separation (separation) from her own mother she is. How “less” psychological age of the girl than she is more attached to her mother, emotionally dependent on receiving parental love and support, the more in making the decision and in the subsequent care of the child will be the role of her parents.

If the girl is “psychologically” mature enough, matured, then she can quite successfully cope with her motherhood. Here it is important to help her enter a new social circle, a group of young mothers. Because, most likely she will move away from her peers due to the difference interests and life goals after the birth of a child. It is important for such a girl to help in obtaining knowledge about child care, the developmental features of the baby and his needs. Help with certain social issues: getting education, help with things for the child, etc.