Critics who advocate encouraging pregnant teenagers to marry are mistaken. Teen marriages are distinctly less stable than marriages that occur after age twenty. Later marriers are less likely to be on welfare and are likely to have more education and fewer children. A hasty marriage makes a bad situation worse. (BJV)

Reviews research on the changing patterns of childbearing among adolescents and the impact of premature parenthood on the life course of young mothers and their children. The evidence supports the need for more integration among services and the importance of increasing the availability of services to those in need. (Author/BJV)

Interviewed adolescent mothers at prepartum or early postpartum and 1 year later regarding maternal and romantic relationships, depression, and negative life events. Responses indicated that over time male partner support became more important than maternal support. (LBT)

In the United States about one million teenagers become pregnant each year and, of these, almost one-half will give birth and become mothers. Maternal factors that have been linked with better overall outcomes for adolescent mothers include social and family support, completion of high school, and limiting subsequent childbearing during…

This paper examines the needs of adolescent mothers and their infants and describes innovative programs designed to meet those needs. It discusses characteristics of adolescent mothers, including their educational level, their obstetric performance, their parenting practices, and the socioeconomic consequences of early parenthood. The paper then…

In his well-known article "The Coming White Underclass" and other writings Charles Murray has suggested that welfare is the primary cause of out-of-wedlock childbearing. He contends that welfare, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and subsidized housing, should be eliminated. While Murray's views have…

The Family Support Act of 1988 presented states with a unique opportunity to address the needs of pregnant and parenting teens. The Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare have seized this opportunity and are leading the nation in combining their programmatic and fiscal resources to expand the state's teen parent initiative. The…

This digest reviews trends in adolescent sexual activity and discusses conceptual and programmatic approaches to pregnancy prevention. It discusses a pregnant adolescent's choices for resolving an unplanned pregnancy (i.e. abortion, adoption, keeping the baby, and marriage), and the challenges faced by teenage parents. The final section touches on…

This report presents ethnographic case studies of the life circumstances and experiences of 18 low-income adolescents who participated in Project Redirection, a national program which provides educational and family planning services at the local level to pregnant teens and mothers. Information on the teens' family background, patterns of…

Cleveland's Comprehensive School-Age Parenting Program focuses on the following: (1) providing preventive health education to give middle school students a sense of identity and self-awareness; (2) preventing the mother from dropping out; and (3) helping the father cope with the situation and remain in school. (PS)

This publication reports trends in teen childbearing in the Nation, in each state, and in large cities using data from the 2000 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Rates of teenage childbearing steadily declined during the 1990s, reaching a record low in 2000. Rates declined for both younger and older teens and for blacks, whites, and…

Presents a broadly based theory of adolescent decision making including all the necessary components of the subject: cognitive development, social and psychological factors, and cultural and societal influences. This theory is then applied to the problem of preventing early pregnancy at an inner-city high school. Asserts that similar programs…

Examined contribution of risk and protective factors in adjustment of 721 children, age 8-15, born to teenage mothers. Results showed that exposure to increasing number of risk factors (poverty, urban residence, mother's self-esteem) was associated with greater vulnerability to adjustment problems, while protective factors (intelligence,…

Examines the problem of teen pregnancy and parenthood from the perspectives of the economic, educational, health, and social problems it brings. The paper describes the scope of this problem, the individual characteristics of women at risk for teenage pregnancy, and its consequences to both the women and society. Possible incentives for young…

Examines teenage decision making for resolution of an unplanned pregnancy and the predictors of both the initial plan and the consistency of the adoption plan. Data from 162 pregnant adolescents reveal that the mother's preference strongly predicts the initial plan, and the birthfather's preference affects the consistency of adoption. (GLR)