Physical Impact
According to the journal article of “The management of the teenage pregnancy” complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second cause of death in 15-19 year old females globally. Adolescent girls under 15 are five times more likely to die during childbirth compared to adults in their 20s.Many adolescents are not physically ready for pregnancy or childbirth and are therefore more vulnerable to complications. The complications include pregnancy-related injuries like:
Obstetric fistula
Anemia
STDs
High blood pressure
Preeclampsia
Premature birth
Delivering at low birth weight
Toxemia
Perinatal deaths
Mental Impact
Girls who are aged 15-19 and have adolescent pregnancies experience a postpartum depression rate twice as high as those who are 25 and above. The symptoms of postpartum depression may include:
Overwhelming fatigue
Anxiety
Lower self-concepts
Poor levels of adjustments
Panic attacks
Feeling worthless which increases their own suicidal thoughts, they may even think of harming the baby.
Stress
Baby blues
The child will also be less prepared to enter kindergarten and are most likely to be incarcerated during their adolescence, drop out of high school, and are unemployed as a young adult. Additionally the child will rely more heavily on publicly funded health care, due to their parent lack of ability in generating enough income.
