Her mind raced, somewhere lost in the tragic words that tumbled from the doctor’s voice. Tears flowed, the heart’s broken, spirits grieved. Guilt plagued her every thought. She longed to turn back time for another chance at doing things right. “I should have listened.” “I should have focused on my education.” Her thoughts swirled round and round, still finding it hard to accept what was true about her being pregnant at such a tender age. Living under the weight of the “should have” is a heavy burden to carry.
An American actress, model, and singer, Anabella Avery Thorne, once said, “You are supposed to be changing the world, not changing diapers. Enjoy your youth by being a kid, not raising one.”
Raising a new baby is challenging for every parent. It can be especially difficult for young mothers, who may be uncertain about their roles and responsibilities and may be frustrated by the constant demands of caretaking. Because of this, their babies are at risk of neglect and abuse. Early pregnancies among adolescents have major health consequences for adolescent mothers and their babies.
Teenage pregnancy damages the course of a young mother’s life. It puts her in a place where she is responsible not only for herself but also for another human being. Teenagers who give birth are at greater risk for health concerns.
Pregnant teens have a higher risk of developing a blood pressure condition called pregnancy-induced hypertension than pregnant women in their 20s or 30s.
Inferring from the research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescent mothers aged 10–19 years face a higher risk of eclampsia, a dangerous medical condition that combines high blood pressure with excess protein in the urine, swelling of a mother’s hands and face, puerperal endometritis, and systematic infections, than women aged 20–29 years. Of course, the dangerous giant challenges associated with teenage pregnancy never stop attending to teenage girls who do not lead a chaste life. Early childbearing can increase risks for newborns as well as young mothers.
Babies born to mothers under 20 years of age face a higher risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, and severe neonatal conditions. In some settings, rapid repeat pregnancy is a concern for young mothers, as it presents further health risks for both the mother and child.
The health challenges associated with teenage pregnancy do not happen in a vacuum. According to the hypodermic needle theory, media contents that are infused with sexual activities inject the brains of the passive audience (teenagers). As sexual development sets in, they are hounded by curiosity to explore their bodies based on what they have consumed. Due to a lack of awareness regarding sex, they often engage in unsafe sex, eventually becoming teen parents.
Another factor in teenage pregnancy is a discussion regarding sex being taboo. Often, conservative parents and teachers do not engage in sexual conservation. As a result, teenagers lack basic knowledge about sex or safe sexual practices.
The lack of resources on sexual awareness leads teenagers to seek help from their peers, which eventually leads them to have the wrong notions about sex. Teenagers barely understand the issues regarding sexual intercourse and the use of contraceptives.
The glorification of sex in mainstream media is another reason why most teenagers lack the moral outlook that prevents them from engaging in irresponsible sexual activities, which in turn bring about health problems on the part of teen mothers and their babies. Children having children (teenager mothers) might face several mental health conditions related to childbirth and being a new mother. ‘Baby blues’ depression and postpartum depression exemplify the mental health conditions in teen mothers.
These symptoms include mood swings, anxiety, sadness, overwhelm, difficulty concentrating, trouble eating, and difficulty sleeping. Being a teen mother is also a risk factor for depression. If a teenage mother has a baby before 37 weeks or experiences complications, depression risks can increase. Teen mothers are twice as likely to experience postpartum depression as their adult counterparts. Postpartum depression involves more severe and significant symptoms than baby blues. Symptoms of postpartum depression include difficulty bonding with your baby, overwhelming fatigue, feeling worthless, anxiety, panic attacks, thinking of harming yourself or your baby, and difficulty enjoying activities you once did.
According to a study published in the Maternal Child Health Journal, teenage mothers had the poorest physical health of all categories of women studied. They may neglect their physical health while caring for their babies. They may also not have access to healthy foods. Teen mothers are also more likely to be obese. Again, the National Institute of Health emphasizes that there is a higher risk of anaemia, contracting STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), premature delivery, and delivering a low birth weight in teenage pregnancy.
The health conditions arising as a result of teenage pregnancy are so risky as to beggar description. These effects can increase mortality and create a perpetual cycle for teenage mothers, their children, and their children’s children.
#Let’sRightTheWrongs…
Source: Dickens Ofori Asare Adjei
