Early pregnancy statistics
Most of these excessively early pregnancies are usually unplanned. Hence, so sad statistics follow: 70% of pregnancies are not born, ending with abortions (very often - late, at deadlines), 15% - miscarriages, and only 15% - childbirth. And only half of the children born to adolescents enter the family, the rest remain abandoned in the houses of the baby.
Which pregnancy is considered early?
Pregnancy is said to be "early" or "teenage" if it occurs in a teenage girl in a low age group of 13 to 18 years. Girls at this age very often begin to live an intimate life only to seem "no worse than others", and the widespread propaganda of sex is not the last role here. The survey showed that only a third of sexually active adolescents use a condom during intercourse, another third - resort to an interrupted sexual intercourse, and the rest is not protected at all. Approximately 5% of the polled schoolgirls already had an early pregnancy.
What is the danger of teenage pregnancy?
The Psychological Aspect
Often teenagers do not notice the very pregnancy in the early period. They learn about their situation with great delay. Of course, the first reaction is a sense of shame, a sense of fear, shock, tremendous guilt, confusion. The girl does not want to accept what happened, she's afraid, she's panicking. At an early age, in fact, still a child, it is difficult to cope with the surging problem and its emotional side. Here much depends on the nature of the teenager and his relationship with his parents. Some fall into a deep depression, others - they are waiting for some kind of "miracle", in which everything will be decided by itself.
The girl is not able to decide for herself what to do with this pregnancy. Before it there is a difficult and terrible question of a choice - to interrupt pregnancy or to keep it? That is why it is so important that with the teenage girl there is a person who understands, able to support and help. It's not always one of the parents (unfortunately) - this can be your favorite teacher or the mother of your best friend. Someone should help her cope with despair and take an adult decision.
Physiological aspect
The course of pregnancy at an early age is not distinguished by any significant points from the pregnancy of an adult woman. And this is her danger. There is the following trend: the smaller the age of the future mother, the greater the risk of complications and the presence of pathology in both the child and herself.
Risk for a pregnant teenage girl:
1. The presence of anemia (a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood);
2. Hypertension (increase in blood pressure);
3. Early and most dangerous - late toxicosis;
4. Preeclampsia;
5. Lack of weight during pregnancy (due to poor nutrition, unhealthy lifestyle);
6. Placental presentation (due to a failure in the production of hormones);
7. Threat of miscarriage;
8. The threat of premature birth;
9. The presence of complications in childbirth - fetal obstruction, the need for caesarean section (due to the clinical narrowness of the pelvis);
Risk for the child:
1. Pediatric prematurity (the earlier birth occurs, the higher the risks of congenital problems with vision, breathing, digestion and general development of the body);
2. Low weight of the newborn (2, 5-1, 5 kg);
3. Presence of intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus;
4. Danger of birth injuries;
5. Inability to breast-feed (due to lack of motivation of a teenage mother);
6. The threat of lag in physical and mental development.
Most of these problems result from the fact that adolescents are still immature physically, their body is not fully formed and has not developed to the necessary degree. Very often pregnancy at the age of 13-17 years is generally ignored, the correct diet and behavior is not observed, which leads to complications for the mother and baby.
The social dimension
A pregnant teenage girl very often encounters conviction and censure. Therefore, she initially is afraid to admit what happened first of all to her parents, and remains alone with the problem. Because of an early pregnancy, the girl sometimes has to drop out of school, thereby putting an end to the future education, opportunities for self-fulfillment and career.
Preventing complications of pregnancy at an early age
A pregnant teenage girl has the right and is obliged in her position to receive timely assistance of specialists (early registration with a gynecologist) and support of others (the father of the child, relatives, doctors, etc.). Only in this case the chance to bear and give birth to a healthy child is significantly increased.
Also, to prevent possible complications during childbirth is the advance (1-2 weeks before the due date) hospitalization of the pregnant teenage girl in the department of pathology at the local hospital. There will be a course of preparatory-strengthening therapy, and the girl will receive timely help in case the birth begins earlier.
Preventing early pregnancy
1. Maintaining a trusting relationship with a teenage child, which includes frank conversations on "forbidden" topics,
2. Organization of sexual education of adolescents at school, watching movies, conducting lectures on the topic of sexual life, methods of prevention and early pregnancy,
3. Providing full and diverse information about modern methods of contraception (requires self-education of the parents themselves).
Remember that a teenage girl always has every chance to produce a healthy baby. The correct way of life and early observation at the doctor is the key to a successful pregnancy resolution.