Using a multidisciplinary team approach in order to treat a 14-year-old pregnant teenager who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day would involve using various services. These would include nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, nutritionists along with other support staff. Using this approach would help address the challenges that young pregnant teenagers may face, both physically and socially. Through group discussions and interactions with other teens, young women and their partners empower and educate one another as they progress from pregnancy into parenting (Shetty, 2009).
This would require an approach that would involve midwives, nurses; community-based young people's services and targeted youth support services. The basis of the program would be to help the teenager to quit smoking in order to improve her overall health and that of her unborn child's. It should offer advice and support on childcare, parenting and health-related topics. An intervention program should be set up as soon as possible in order to better improving the health of the unborn child (Teenage pregnancy, n.d.).
Another idea that might be used is one similar to a program that has been implemented by the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Improving the health and well-being of women, infants, children, and families is a goal of Healthy People 2010. Early, ongoing prenatal care that provides education and support to mothers' plays an important role in preventing preterm birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Nursing Student Birth Companions (SBC) Program provides free doula care. This program is provided to underserved or underinsured pregnant women. Doulas are women who are trained to support other women before birth, through labor, and after the birth of the baby. They often provide emotional, informational, and physical support to...
Using professionals from multi-disciplines will allow all different views and practices to be used in order to try and achieve success. Smoking during pregnancy has many ill effects on not only the mom but on the child as well. Reducing these effects by using different approaches will increase the chances that the young woman will have a healthy and happy baby.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics: Care of Adolescent Parents and Their Children. (2001).
Pediatrics, 107(2), 429-434.
Shetty, Anisha. (2009). Adolescent Update: The Teen Pregnancy Center. Retrieved September 8,
2009, from Children's Hospital St. Louis Web site:
https://www.stlouischildrens.org/content/AdolescentUpdateTheTeenPregnancyCenter.htm
The Birth Companions Program. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2009, from Leading Healthy
Communities Web site: http://www.leadinghealthycommunities.com/case-studies/19990001.jsp
Teenage pregnancy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2009, from Web site: http://www.in-
practice.org/SexualHealth/downloads/PNA_Comm_Teenagers_download_pregnancy_F
AQ.pdf
Van Wheel, Chris. (2007). Adjusted tobacco legislation and accompanying actions for the benefit of future children of women smokers. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from BioInfoBank Library Web site: http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:18074721
Veronica. (2007). The Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Healthcare. Retrieved September 8,
2009, from Associated Content Web site:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/291553/the_multidisciplinary_team_approach.
html?cat=5
