TRAGIC BEGINNINGS
The majority of teen parents and their children have a very tough time, starting even before the babies in question are born. Multiple studies over the years reveal a mind-boggling litany of facts and statistics that do not bode well for children born to teenage mothers—beginning before birth, when many teenage mothers-to-be fail to obtain adequate medical care for their developing infants. LiveStrong reports on the “higher infant mortality rate among babies born to teenage mothers,” citing smoking during pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and the teenage mother’s high risk of premature birth. These factors can also contribute to “low birth weight, complications during pregnancy, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).”
