Teenage pregnancy negatively affects mothers, fathers, and children. Mothers have lower educational attainment, limited career options, and are more likely to live in poverty. Fathers sometimes abandon their responsibilities and feel less responsible for the child. Children of teenage mothers have higher risks of low birth weight, infant mortality, cognitive and developmental issues, poor academic and behavioral outcomes, and continuing the cycle of teenage pregnancy into the next generation.

1. The affects of Teenage Pregnancy

2. The Effect on Mothers Since having children is time consuming, the mothers don’t have much time to themselves. They have lower levels of educational attainment. Their career options are severely limited compared to other women. Only 70 percent of teen mothers complete high school or earn a GED.

3. Teenage mothers are more likely to be below the poverty line. Higher risk of not being able to maintain a steady job. They may end up in abusive homes. Their children are more likely to perform poorly in school. Their daughters are likely to become teenage parents themselves.

5. The Effects on Fathers Sometimes the father will choose to not stay around when he finds out he is going to have a child, and he will just abandon his responsibilities. Statistics show that if the male is well educated, they are more likely than the less educated males to marry the mother of their child within 12 months of conception.

6. The father tends to not feel as responsible for the child because he is not the one carrying him/her during the pregnancy. Society is increasingly starting to emphasize the role of the male in the child’s life. Fathers who choose to stick around tend to be committed in the child’s life.

8. The Effect on Children The mothers are likely to not gain adequate weight during pregnancy, so it is likely the child will be born with a low birth weight. They will have a higher infant mortality rate. Higher risk of infant and childhood disorders. They are less likely to receive proper nutrition, and health care. They are more likely to not have much cognitive and social stimulation.

9. They are more likely to have an undeveloped intellect, and attain lower academic achievement. They are more likely to have problems with self control. They have higher odds of being placed in special education classes. They are more likely to commit delinquent acts.

10. They are more likely to grow up in poverty, and not attain the skills they would need in order to get out of poverty. If they are the daughter of a teenage mother, they are likely to follow in their mother’s footsteps and have a child as a teenager as well. They have a higher chance of committing crimes as an adult, and of ending up on welfare support.