Teenage Pregnancy

Summary

Most teenage girls don’t plan to get pregnant, but many do. Teen pregnancies carry extra health risks to both the mother and the baby. Often, teens don’t get prenatal care soon enough, which can lead to problems later on. They have a higher risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure and its complications. Risks for the baby include premature birth and a low birth weight.

If you’re a pregnant teen, you can help yourself and your baby by:

• Getting regular prenatal care
• Taking your prenatal vitamins for your health and to prevent some birth defects
• Avoiding smoking, alcohol, and drugs
• Using a condom, if you are having sex, to prevent sexually transmitted diseases that could hurt your baby. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• About Teen Pregnancy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Having a Healthy Pregnancy Nemours Foundation
• Teenage Pregnancy American Academy of Pediatrics

Related Issues

• Are You Pregnant and Thinking about Adoption? Children’s Bureau
• Can a Girl Get Pregnant If She Has Sex during Her Period? Nemours Foundation
• Teen Parents American Academy of Pediatrics

Men

• Becoming a Father Boston Children’s Hospital

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Birth Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Statistics and Research

• Characteristics of Pregnant Teen Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Teen Pregnancy in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy in Adolescence National Institutes of Health

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Find an Ob-Gyn American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• March of Dimes Foundation March of Dimes Foundation

Living With

• Having a Baby (For Teens) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Pregnancy and Nutrition: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• When Children Have Children American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• When Your Teen Is Having a Baby Nemours Foundation

Diagnosis and Tests

• Pregnancy Test National Library of Medicine

Journal Articles

• Teenage Pregnancy

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Pregnancy: What Happens First Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Patient Handouts

• Teenage pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia