Child Development Pamphlet (Teen Pregnancy)

Child Development Pamphlet (Teen Pregnancy)

Introduction

· Teenage pregnancies continue to be a global challenge, especially in marginalized countries. They are also one of the leading factors contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality.

· It affects children aged between 15-and 19 years. For many of these adolescents, these pregnancies usually occur unplanned and are often unwanted. This prompts them to have an unsafe abortion which puts their health at risk.

· However, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been positive progress, showing that the teen birth rate in the US has been declining since 1991. 17.4% of teenage pregnancies were recorded in 2018, and 16.4% in 2019 (Mohr et al., 2019).

Effects of Teenage Pregnancies

· It affects adolescent girls aged 15-19 years who face significant health risks and maternal complications due to their immature bodies and age.

· They will also be forced to drop out of school. Babies born to adolescent mothers also face substantial health risks such as being born prematurely, underweight, congenital anomalies, birth asphyxia, and other fetal complications (Modesto, 2020).  

· These girls also face stigma, violence, and rejection from their parents and peers, which may trigger mental illness and health risks such as abortion.

· However, teenage pregnancies also affect the families of these girls and the community overalls since it has undesirable social and economic effects.

Concepts from the lesson material

·  Setting realistic goals and addressing the community based on their understanding while sharing ideas and connecting.

· Interactive sessions in the learning process by allowing the parents and caregivers to ask questions will help promote learning.

· A shared learning process where community members share teenage pregnancy experiences helps deepen collective knowledge (Modesto, 2020).

· Community health volunteers are vital in addressing the issue since they understand how it has affected the community and how it can be resolved.

· Also, they help deliver essential information in the community's native language for better understanding.

How to resolve teenage pregnancies

· There is a need for community collaboration in preventing teenage pregnancies by reducing mortality and morbidity rates. Some of the approaches are;

· Utilizing community programs such as schools and churches to ensure the social development of adolescents (Budiharjo et al., 2018).

· Teaching responsible sexual behavior to their parents, peers, and professionals emphasizes the need for abstaining from contraceptive use and condoms to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

· The parents play a crucial role in engaging their adolescent children in open, confidential, and non-threatening communication on reproductive health and sexual behaviors.

· Also, pregnancy prevention should be linked to preventing sexually transmitted infections during counseling.

Community resources to assist with the issue

· Youth development programs such as camps, educational forums, and rallies should target psychological and social skills that are applicable and necessary in avoiding high-risk sexual behaviors (Hadley, 2018).

· Community social development projects such as the Seattle development project are designed to increase students' social skills.

· Advocates for youth is a national movement that educates wholly and also provides quality sex educations programs and education. Phone: 202-419-3420. Fax: 202-419-1448.

· Schools also have counselors and counseling sessions integrated into the education curriculum. Sessions on behavior management and comprehensive sex education are offered to help in teenage pregnancy reduction.

Conclusion

· Teenage pregnancies are a significant health concern to adolescents, families, the community, and health care professionals.

· Therefore, addressing the issue means a significant burden on maternal mortality and morbidity has been lifted.

· By completing this assignment, I have learned that teenage pregnancies can be resolved with effective interventions, especially in the community.

· Some of the challenges I faced included the lack of community programs exclusively meant to address teenage pregnancies.

· Teenage pregnancy education has been integrated into most resources, such as in schools. It is essential to develop a program that purely addresses adolescent pregnancies.  

References

Mohr, R., Carbajal, J., & Sharma, B. B. (2019). The influence of educational attainment on teenage pregnancy in low-income countries: A systematic literature review. Journal of Social Work in the Global Community, 4(1), 2.

Modesto, O. P. (2020). Understanding Factors Linked to Adolescent Pregnancy: A Review of the Literature. Research in Higher Education Journal, 38.

Budiharjo, D. N., Theresia, E. M., & Widyasih, H. (2018). Factors influencing to the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Jurnal Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak, 12(2), 124-128.

Hadley, A. (2018). Teenage pregnancy: strategies for prevention. Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine, 28(4), 99-104.