Financial Problems for Parents Under the Age of 18
- A long-term financial effect of teenage pregnancy is the inability for some teen mothers to find high-paying jobs because they did not finish high school or attend college. In 2010, over half of single mothers on welfare had babies when they were teens.
- Parents under the age of 18 have difficulty paying for basic needs, such as food and shelter, because of their low income. Teen mothers often do not eat properly themselves and, because they are unable to provide for their children, newborns are often hospitalized for poor nutrition and other health problems.
- A teenage mom is less likely to see a doctor during the first three months of pregnancy than older women, partly because she is unable to afford quality health care. Failure to see a doctor can result in inadequate weight gain and poor nutrition during pregnancy, as well as having a low birth-weight baby and an abnormal labor and delivery, all of which directly affect the health of the newborn.