The Risk of Teen Mothers Having Low Birth Weight Babies: Implications of Recent Medical Research for School Health Personnel

Abstract:
This article reviews medical research on the relationship between young maternal age and the incidence of low birth weight infants. One line of research, 'nature,' emphasizes biological factors in early adolescence, such as immaturity of the female reproductive system and inadequate prenatal weight gain. 'Nurture,' another research focus, stresses sociocultural attributes of teen mothers, such as poverty and minority status. Young maternal age alone does not explain the higher rates of low birth weight infants born to adolescent females. Both biological and sociocultural factors, in addition to lifestyle choices made by adolescents, combine to raise or lower the risk of delivering a low birth weight infant. The authors recommend that school health personnel link their health promotion efforts to those of other community organizations serving adolescents and their families. In particular, they suggest three areas for collaboration: promoting healthy lifestyle choices, postponing first pregnancies, and reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. Statistics are provided on the number and percentage of low birth weight infants based on the mother's age and racial background.

Author(s): Roth, Jeffrey; Hendrickson, Jo; Schilling, Max; and Stowell, Daniel W.

Publication: Journal of School Health (JOSH), Vol. 68, No. 7


Date Published: 9/1/1998

Pages: 5

Location Code: 14150