Department of Social Services of Wilson, Nc's Success in School Program

New Program Service Description

Organization: New Service Description

New service description:

Partners for a Healthy Baby thru the Success in School Program

The new program entitled Partners for a Healthy Baby will be administered through the Department of Social Services of Wilson, NC's Success in School Program. Success in Schools is designed to help at-risk pregnant teen mothers navigate their responsibilities to their new babies and to school to ensure that they graduate. Partners for a Healthy Baby is specifically designed to address the physical and medical challenges teens often face as well as the fact that babies born to pregnant teens often face more significant medical risks than those born to women in their twenties partially (although not exclusively) due to a lack of prenatal care.

For example, one reason teenage mothers are at higher risk during their pregnancy is their greater likelihood of developing high blood pressure "called pregnancy-induced hypertension" ("Teenage pregnancy," 2015). Their risk is much higher than that of pregnant women in their 20s or 30s. Pregnant teens also have a higher risk of preeclampsia, "a dangerous medical condition that combines high blood pressure with excess protein in the urine, swelling of a mother's hands and face, and organ damage" ("Teenage pregnancy," 2015). This is one reason why it is so essential that pregnant teens are closely monitored for any abnormalities which might occur with their pregnancy. Medications may be needed to control these symptoms. But medication is not a 'one shot' proposition: the teens must be closely monitored to ensure the drugs do not affect the developing baby's health.

Partners for a Healthy Baby help teens secure such needed prenatal care and monitoring by arranging for transportation to doctor's visits and acting as a coordinator with healthcare institutions to ensure that teens have access to affordable and appropriate medical care. Many teens are eligible for local, state, and federal financial support for their healthcare but are unaware of how to navigate the complex bureaucratic maze that can be intimidating even to an adult. Partners for a Healthy Baby provides teens with logistical support and needed advice: it reaches out to teens but also acts as a facilitator and coordinator so they can access care that Partners does not provide directly. For teens who have more than one child, seeking out the support of services which can provide them with childcare and access to supportive resources for their pregnancies is especially critical. A lack of prenatal care is also directly linked with the risk of low birth weights of babies born to teens. "A low-birth-weight baby weighs only 3.3 to 5.5 pounds (1,500 to 2,500 grams). A very-low-birth-weight baby weighs less than 3.3 pounds. Babies that small may need to be put on a ventilator in a hospital's neonatal care unit for help with breathing after birth" ("Teenage pregnancy," 2015). Prenatal care can be a vital cost savings for society as well as for teens.

The Partners program also acts as an educational resource for pregnant teens. Teens often engage in higher-risk behavior early during their pregnancy because they are unaware that they are pregnant at first. This may include using drugs; having unprotected sex (which can put the developing baby at risk for an STD); and not eating properly. Because most teen pregnancies are unplanned, teens are less likely to have adequate folic acid levels, as ideally supplementation should begin before pregnancy ("Teenage pregnancy," 2015). "Women who are pregnant or might become pregnant take folic acid to prevent miscarriage and 'neural tube defects,' birth defects such as spina bifida that occur when the fetus's spine and back do not close during development" ("Folic acid," 2014).

Teens are also more vulnerable to postpartum depression, biologically and because of the isolation they feel from the change they have experienced from being a normal, carefree teen vs. The stresses of caring for a child. "Girls who feel down and sad, either while pregnant or after the birth, should talk openly with their doctors or someone else they trust. Depression can interfere with taking good care of a newborn -- and with healthy teenage development -- but it can be treated" ("Teenage pregnancy," 2015). Teens are often unaware of this and feel helpless. "Teen mothers reported receiving significantly less social support than adult mothers as they had poorer ability to make and maintain relationships with others," often because of a loss of social connections due to dropping out of school and a lack of time and resources for childcare (Kim, Connolly, & Tamim 2014). Encouraging girls to remain in school decreases their sense of isolation and gives them a sense of hope and possibility about the future. The program provides subsidized childcare and enables the girls to have transportation to minimize the conflicts which can arise between work, school, and parenting. This also diffuses possible tensions at home about having to rely upon family members for childcare.

Teens are at higher risk for psychological disorders connected to pregnancy in general. "It was observed that teen mothers were more deprived in terms of lower education, lower social class (higher unemployment rate), and were more likely to be single compared to adult mothers. Studies have indicated that mothers who received social support during pregnancy and/or after childbirth were significantly less likely to experience PPD" (Kim, Connolly, & Tamim 2014). Social support programs, while not a replacement for family and friends' support can strive to rectify some of these deficits. By providing counseling for girls, as well as the opportunity to participate in support groups with fellow teens going through the same experiences, girls are less inclined to feel isolated and alone. Community support also facilitates the chances that they will continue with their educations, if they see other teens similarly engaged. Teen mothers who are not depressed are more able to provide adequate care for their babies, including nutrition, cuddling, setting a regular sleep schedule, and satisfying other needs for their children (Kim, Connolly, & Tamim 2014). Physical development and mental and social development are linked in a newborn and spending money on such social programs in the short run wind up saving society financially in the long run.