Babies having babies.

Here is some information about teenage pregnancy. Babies Having Babies!Rip n Roll takes a hard look at teenage pregnancy.

About 4 out of 10 girls in the United States will get pregnant by age 20 - about 1-million of them each year. Most will say they did not use protection because they weren't planning to have sex. Such life-altering choices must be considered in advance, says the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

Teenage Pregnancy, a national crisis

Teen Pregnancy, facts you should know

Health risks to the teenage mother

Teen Pregnancy Health risks to the baby

Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy

Emergency Contraception Hotline

Teen pregnancy is one of the most critical issues facing America today. The explosion of out-of-wedlock teen births is a crisis that threatens to undermine our nation. Each year, one million American teenagers become pregnant. 175,000 give birth to their first child. As a result, the United States now has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western World. The costs of teen pregnancy are staggering. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school, less likely to get married, and more likely to go on welfare than their peers. And the odds are stacked against the children of teen parents from the minute they are born. Their health is poorer, their cognitive development is slower, and their behavioral problems are worse than their peers. Teen pregnancy robs teens of their childhood and their futures as productive adults. It also robs their children, and their children's children. The teen pregnancy crisis costs taxpayers an estimated $6.9 billion in lost tax revenues and increased spending on public assistance, health care, foster care and the criminal justice system. As a nation, we can no longer afford the consequences of teen pregnancy. Teenage Pregnancy, Facts you should know Statistics can be boring. But the Statistics on teenage pregnancy are alarming * Some 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all U.S. births are to teenage women. * Babies born to young teen mothers have a higher risk of serious health problems. * Physical and mental birth defects affect many babies born to very young women. The high rate of teenagers having babies is a national health and social problem that demands attention. Health Risks to the Teenage Mother The teenage mother has special problems, physically and emotionally. * The death rate from pregnancy complications is much   higher among girls who give birth under age 15 than among older mothers. * The teenage mother is more likely to be undernourished and suffer premature or prolonged labor. * During the first three months of pregnancy; seven out of ten pregnant teenagers do not see a doctor or go to a clinic. * Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems. Health Risks to the Baby The baby growing inside a mother is in a most dependent, and often risky, place. Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem. Babies born to teenagers often are born too small, too soon. Low birth weight babies may have the following: * Immature organ systems (brain, lungs, heart). * Difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels. * Mental retardation. * A risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than among normal weight babies (5 1/2 pounds or more). Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy The future does not often hold great promise for a teenage mother and her child. * Two out of three pregnant teenagers drop out of school.* With her education cut short, the teenage mother may lack job skills. The income of teen mothers is half that of those who first gave birth in their 20s. The teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on welfare. * Teenage marriages have a much greater chance of ending in divorce. If you are pregnant, you can increase your chances of having a healthy baby: Get regular prenatal care from your doctor or clinic. Eat properly. Stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol. Don't take any drugs unless prescribed by your doctor. This health information is not intended to replace the advice of a physician. Rip n Roll is concerned that decisions to have children are made responsibly, and that all prospective parents know the facts involved in having a healthy baby. http://www.ripnroll.com/teenpregnancy.htm Merika