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The problem of teenage births in the U.S. has been well documented and much effort has been directed toward pregnancy prevention programs. Though nationally these efforts have paid off, teenage pregnancy remains high among some minority groups.

The teen birth rate is a measure of the risks to two generations – teen mothers and their babies. Teen childbearing has a negative impact on young women, their children, and society in general. It is estimated that the combination of lost tax revenues and increased spending on public assistance, health care, foster care, and the criminal justice system related to teen births costs the U.S. about $7 billion annually.

Unless a teen mother has susbstantial financial, emotional and social support after the birth of her child, she and her baby are at risk of the negative effects of poverty over the course of their lives. Only 4 in 10 women (41%) who become mothers before they are 18 years of age ever complete high school. This limits the mother’s employment options, putting her at long-term risk of low-wage earnings. Births to teenagers are strongly linked to poverty and single parenthood. Teen mothers are much more likely to go on welfare than women who postpone childbearing. The male partners of teen mothers tend to be older than teen-age themselves. Only 20% to 30% of the babies’ fathers marry the mothers of their children.

Teen births can lead to significant health consequences. Teen mothers are more likely to lack adequate prenatal care, to deliver prematurely, and to have low-birthweight babies, raising the probabilities of infant death, blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, cerebral palsy, and hyperactivity among their children.

The children of teenage mothers are more likely to perform poorly in school. They are 50% more likely to repeat a grade, have lower performance on standardized tests, and are less likely to complete high school than the children of older mothers. Babies born to teen mothers are at higher risk of abuse and neglect, including death.

About one-fourth of teenage mothers have a second child within 24 months of the first birth, and daughters of teen mothers are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.

How are Connecticut children and families faring? In recent years, teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates have declined steadily, in all states and in all racial groups. In Connecticut, the 1991 teen birth rate was 26.3 per 1,000 15- to 17-year-old girls; in 1998, it decreased to 21.4 per 1,000 girls. The 1999-2001 average rate in Connecticut declined to 17 per 1,000 15- to 17-year-old girls.

Despite this statewide decline, very high teen birth rates continue in some of Connecticut’s larger cities and in some smaller towns in eastern Connecticut.

What can be done: Teen pregnancy prevention

• Multi-pronged pregnancy prevention programs that focus on both abstinence and contraception are needed to further reduce teen pregnancy. Among high-risk groups, programs should address poverty, lack of opportunity, family dysfunction, and social and cultural factors.
• Programs also need to address sexual and/or physical abuse as studies reveal that young women who give birth as teens have experienced higher rates of abuse and involuntary sex.
• Programs that train parents and other adults to talk with their children about sex, without being embarrassed or judgmental, can reduce births to teens.
• A study conducted in eastern Connecticut reported that focus group participants unanimously stated a need for more structured activities for teens as a preventive measure.
• Home visiting programs that have been shown to reduce repeat pregnancies among teen mothers should be promoted.

Both declines in sexual activity and increases in the use of birth control are responsible for the reduction in the teen pregnancy rate in Connecticut. Although this decline is encouraging, we must not become complacent regarding this issue. The number of adolescents is increasing, so the absolute number of births to teenagers may increase. In fact, we must redouble our efforts to reduce teen pregnancy if we are to break the cycle of poverty and underachievement that results from kids having kids.