These days, it is quite alarming to learn the high percentage of accounts regarding teenage pregnancy or a young woman having pregnancy before she reached the age of 20. In the United States, it is estimated that around 85 percent of all teenage pregnancies are unintentional or unplanned, and the remaining percentage are those engaged in early marriage. The issue regarding early pregnancy among the young teens is very important in a particular country as there are corresponding risks involved to the health of the young mother and to the baby as well.

Once a woman reached the age of 18, she is considered an adult already but half of the cases of teenage pregnancies fall under this age division and the rest (from 17 and below) they actually have no intention to get pregnant due to early sexual intercourse and other reasons integrating to their puberty years. In some conducted studies on why teens are more likely to be forced in early sexual intercourse before their maturity age, they said that it is due to the feeling of being pressured to engage in sex with their opposite gender. Because of their young minds and curiosity to sex, many teens are involved in premarital sex and most of the times that they don’t really want to do (without the knowledge about safe sex) which results to teenage pregnancy.

If the pregnancy is unintentional and the young soon-to-be-mom is not yet ready to take the responsibility of being a mother, the usual scenario is that she will not tell anybody about her early pregnancy even to her family due to fear. This will lead to poor pre-natal care and the baby she is bearing is facing certain risks like low birth weight, premature birth, or the worst is miscarriage. Since the young body of the teenage mom is still not fully developed, she is required to have nutritional support for her good health and for safe conception.

Among the early signs of pregnancy among teens is the gradual enlargement of the breast with frequency of vomiting or nausea. Missed period also indicates the possibility of pregnancy. Other symptoms are tenderness of the breast, frequency of urination, fatigue, and abdominal swelling. Once these signs are observed it is suggested that it should be checked by a certified obstetrician to conduct tests and to learn the proper care during the pregnancy.

Prenatal care is very important part of teenage pregnancy that involves the proper taking of supplements to support in the pregnancy of the young mother and this is being done through nutritional counseling performed by either a doctor or a professional midwife. The intention of the counseling is to educate the pregnant teenage mom about the sensitivity of her first pregnancy and to prevent health problems that will affect the baby such as anemia, high blood pressure, and other medical issues. She will also learn the benefits of regular exercise and the right foods to eat for her nourishment and to the baby. Likewise, more information about contraception will be discussed to her even after giving birth to prevent another pregnancy.

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