Pregnancy in adolescents increases congenital risks

• April 28, 2024

According to World Health Organization , adolescence begins in the first phase, from 10 to 14 years; and in the second phase from 15 to 19 years, so everything pregnancy in children under 18 is considered high risk, since at a younger age, the risk of complications increase . For this reason, the Dr. Nelly Monroy López , specialist in psychology in adolescentsHospital Angeles Mexico , to talk about the subject.

How common is pregnancy in adolescent women in our country?

The index is very high, of every 5 pregnancies , three are teenagers and 70% of these are single and without secondary school.

What are the risks that teenage pregnancy can cause in health issues?

These vary depending on the age at which the pregnancy , at younger age more complications. These can be:

1. Low weight baby
2. Malformations in the baby
3. Complications at the time of delivery

This is from the physical point of view, since the child with time, can also present psychological alterations, such as minor cognitive development , that is, in its intellectual development l, its social development Y personal security They can also be affected. In addition, in many cases the pattern is repeated with the children, that is, a child of a teenage mother, is more likely to become a teenage father.

Another aspect that should not be forgotten is the social one, because even in our days adolescent mothers continue to be marginalized, they usually leave school and it is very difficult to get a good job with these characteristics. It makes the economic development of the new family impossible.

Are teen pregnancies due to lack of education?

Although it is a very important factor, there are several reasons. The lack of information, the difficult access tocontraceptive methods and to the same information.The belief that exists in the adolescent that he will not happen, the economic situation, that is, there are many and varied reasons why there is a pregnancy in a teenager.

Another cause may be that the vast majority of sexual intercourse in adolescents are not planned, they are spontaneous and there is no good communication with his parents, so the little information he can have about the sexual intercourse comes from talks between friends. For this reason, for example, they believe that interrupted intercourse avoid the pregnancy , they do not know the minimum degree of effectiveness of methods like rhythm, not even how to wear it.

The lack of communication in your family, not only in relation to sex , but in general, you can push a teenager to consider the pregnancy as an option to leave your home, or there are men who handle this idea ... The lack of affection and understanding at home in general, is a factor that can border the adolescents, towards the pregnancy early.

What would be the recommendations towards the parents of adolescents, to avoid the possible pregnancy in their children?

I consider that the affected , the sweetie , the communication , the information and family education is basic to avoid pregnancy in teenagers Prevent the topic of sex and talk to their children and tell them that it is best to postpone sexual relations as much as possible, until they find a stable partner and that they have already known for a while.

And the most important thing is to prepare them, talk about the contraceptive methods , about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (ETS), like theAIDS and herpes among others. In addition to the theme of abortion , which independently of the beliefs of each family, can be a risk that adolescents run. Not only is it enough to inform, but to educate, it is necessary that young people not only know about contraceptive methods, but also that they know how to use them.

On many occasions, a young man opens a condom with their teeth or with their nails and they break them, or they want to use them several times, that is, they know that the condom exists, but they do not know how to put it to good use and this is the responsibility of both the parents and the institutions. health and the specialists in it.

A good option may be to inform adolescents about institutions that offer courses on sexuality and contraceptive methodology.

How common is the transmission of AIDS in adolescents?

Unfortunately, 40% of the people who currently have AIDS, They got infected during adolescence. Due to what was previously commented, the adolescent is in a stage of sexual exploration and she changes partners, does not take care of herself and in some occasions she has sexual relations with people older than them, who have already had more partners.

This is why it is very important to promote the use ofcondom in teenagers, not so much the pills or theintrauterine device , since these do not protect them from ETS .

Is it recommended that adolescents under 18 years old go to the gynecologist?

Yes, age should not be an impediment to be able to visit a specialist, who will surely solve any doubt. For our part, we are looking for pediatricians to handle information on sexual health Y reproductive . It is important that a teen has all this information before starting to menstruate and have hormonal changes; subsequently, it can be channeled with a gynecologist .

What role do institutions dedicated to adolescents play?

I preside over one of them and we have 25 years of work with teenagers, in which we have developed materials and programs, both for teenagers, as well as for doctors, parents or teachers who have been very helpful.

In addition, it should be mentioned that at a public level, CORA to trained hospital staff of the Health Secretary , of the Federal District Government , of the ISSSTE , of the DIF and the Social Security , which have programs for teenage mothers, training and education to avoid future pregnancies .

In particular, I will mention that we have been working with the Women's hospital , where adolescent mothers who gave their baby for adoption and with whom health information was provided and reproduction , which was not enough, they needed to work, be trained in something and raise their self-esteem, since otherwise, most of them would get pregnant soon after.

Taking into account this experience, programs were carried out that were complemented with DIF institutions, government personnel of the D.F. and in some states of the Republic, as Tlaxcala and gentleman .

As for the people who have the necessary financial resources to go to a psychologist specialized in adolescents, it is highly recommended to help them raise their self-esteem, improve their training, continue with their studies or employment and support without removing responsibilities. Since in many occasions, the families adopt the baby and the adolescent mother or father does not assume their responsibilities, which can cause a new pregnancy , since they do not notice any change in their life.

Statistically, there are cases in which 17-year-old girls have 4 or more children.

How frequent is abortion in adolescents?

In studies carried out by foreign specialists, 15% of the total abortions in Mexico, they are teenagers and, unfortunately, in terrible conditions.

Do you want to add something else?

Thanks to our 25 years of experience, we have managed to develop effective techniques, where the adolescent learns playing and even professionals, who seek to help young people, also capture things better through games. Our courses are dynamic and are accompanied by educational materials. For this reason, I consider it advisable that parents, doctors and psychologists recommend readings on contraceptives and consequences of pregnancy. In addition, we have developed a manual that the gynecologist can have on hand and show it to all new mothers.

What is the ideal age, both physical and psychological, to have a pregnancy?

It is easier to answer the physical part than the psychological part. The best age is 20 to 30 years, before 18 and after 35, it is considered a high risk pregnancy. However, the emotional and psychological part, it is difficult to define the appropriate moment, that will depend on the life and situation of each person.

There is also a social point of view, where they must be economically self-sufficient and capable of supporting themselves and their families. It is important to plan the family when the studies are finished, and there is a stable work and relationship that allows to provide a baby with the stability and the best conditions for a full life.

Follow us onTwitter YFacebook .

If you are interested in receiving more information on this topic, do not hesitateregister with us.