Clinic for the Adolescent Pregnant (CARE) – 5 Years On

Teenage pregnancy is associated with a multitude of medical and social problems. Teenage mothers were approximately twice as likely to be anemic, have a higher risk of instrumental deliveries and mental health difficulties [1]. Teenage mothers also had a higher risk for depression, higher likelihood of living in poverty, and lower likelihood of completing their education relative to peers who delay childbearing [1]. Babies born to teenage mothers face a higher risk of preterm birth, which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality [2]. They are also at a higher risk of low birth weight, small for gestational age, neonatal and infant mortality [1]. An earlier local study in 1989 showed a higher incidence of low birth weight babies among young teenagers especially aged 16 years old and below, largely due to poor intrauterine growth and preterm labour [3].