According to the World Health Organization, pregnancy is considered precocious when the girl gets pregnant between 10 and 19 years. Early pregnancy is usually due to the culture and difficulty of access to contraceptive methods, which can have unpleasant consequences for both the health of the pregnant woman and the baby.
Causes of Early Pregnancy
The main causes of early pregnancy are due to several different factors but may include:
- First menstruation too early;
- Disinformation on pregnancy and contraceptive methods;
- Low financial and social level;
- Families with other cases of early pregnancy;
- Conflicts and bad family environment.
Early pregnancy can happen in any social class, but it is more frequent in low-income families.
Consequences of early pregnancy
The consequences of early pregnancy can affect both the young mother and the baby that will be born, including:
The main physical consequences of early pregnancy are:
- Early rupture of the water bag;
- Preterm birth and complications during childbirth;
- Spontaneous abortion;
- Decreased weight and risk of anemia.
The emotional consequences of early pregnancy are:
- Affective problems between mother and baby;
- Decreased self-esteem of pregnant women;
-
Risk of depression in young pregnant women.
The socioeconomic consequences of early pregnancy are:
- Low school level and drop out of the study;
- Difficulty in finding a job;
- Rejection of the girl by the society;
- Increased pressure to perform the marriage.
The main consequences of early pregnancy for the baby are:
- Prematurity;
- Low weight at birth;
- Risk of malformations.
Due to all the implications that early pregnancy can cause, this type of pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy and must be accompanied by qualified health professionals to avoid or lessen the impact of the consequences.
What to do in case of teenage pregnancy
In case of early pregnancy, what the young woman can do is make a medical appointment to start prenatal care and tell her family to get the necessary support.
Medical psychologists and obstetricians, as well as nurse and social worker should be informed so that there is correct prenatal surveillance to reduce complications in the mother and baby. This type of follow-up also helps prevent a teenage pregnancy and encourages the young mother to return to school.
Useful links:
- Contraceptive methods
- 10 first symptoms of pregnancy
