PROVIDENCE, R.I., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Many U.S. teens who get pregnant say their baby will help them form connections with others such as their boyfriend, a study finds.
"We need to help teenagers identify ways to connect with others in life besides motherhood," says lead author Cynthia Rosengard of Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School.
The researchers questioned 247 pregnant adolescents ages 12 to 19 who were seeking prenatal care at a primary-care clinic.
Some of the pregnant teens said a baby early in life would give them more time later to accomplish what they wanted, while others expressed concerns about fertility later in life, and some said they would receive more support as a young parent than if they were older.
The teens said the disadvantages included: more responsibility, missing adolescent experiences, putting their lives on hold, juggling school and motherhood, financial problems and uncertainly of father's commitment.
About half of the older teens ages 18 or 19 said they were not prepared for pregnancy, compared to 42 percent of 16- and 17-year-old girls and 35 percent of teens under 16, according to the study in Pediatrics.
