Health Handout Physical Needs the Physical Needs

Health Handout Physical Needs The physical needs of the adolescent mother-to-be are not dissimilar to the physical needs of a pregnant woman at any other age. However, there are specific physical and biological issues that must be taken into consideration. In fact, "adolescent pregnancies are higher risk than the pregnancies of healthy adult women," (StorkNet, 2012). Teenage mothers are more likely to deliver babies prematurely, or babies with low birth weights (StorkNet, 2012).

Moreover, "complications of pregnancy such as anemia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and preeclampsia are also more likely to develop" in teenage mothers (StorkNet, 2012). Teenagers usually have higher nutritional needs than their adult counterparts, enhancing their prenatal nutritional needs. The reproductive organs of some teenagers have not yet been fully developed -- even at age fifteen. This would place a considerable amount of strain on a fifteen-year-old pregnant female (StorkNet, 2012). Psychological Needs The teenager who finds herself pregnant and who intends to carry the child to term has unique psychological needs.

Those psychological needs are different from those of her adult counterparts. The teenager is already dealing with the social pressures and turmoil of adolescence. Most teenagers are not pregnant, which means that the pregnant teen might find herself isolated from her peers. Moreover, the teen who is pregnant might experience taunting and teasing from peers. Counseling specific to the needs of the pregnant teen will be necessary. "Another problem facing teen mothers is the use of drugs and alcohol, including cigarette smoking," (Weiss, 2012).

Teenagers who are pregnant will usually be in school, causing a host of psychological problems. If a fifteen-year-old pregnant female finds that school becomes too much of a burden and drops out, her prospects for the future are diminished considerably. "Teenage mothers can expect to earn, after tax, between $50,000 and $120,000 less over a lifetime compared to mothers who delay until at least age 20," (New Mexico Department of Health, 2007). This fact is in part due to the high dropout rate and low career ambition that follows from an early pregnancy.

A teenage mother is also unlikely to be in a stable relationship with the father of the child, meaning that parenthood will prove to be an ongoing financial burden. The financial needs of a teenager who is pregnant are more overwhelming than those of an adult who can readily find work; a fifteen-year-old is restricted in the types of jobs she can handle or legally obtain. Finally, the psychological needs of the pregnant teenager will vary depending on the woman's ethnic, cultural, and economic background.

Teenagers who come from families that have patterns of teen pregnancy might find a high degree of social support compared with teenagers whose families disapprove of their choice to carry the pregnancy to term. Similarly, teenagers from wealthy families will have different psychological needs vs. teenagers from families that are financially strapped. Counseling and support should be offered on an individualized basis. Community Resources The community resources for a fifteen-year-old pregnant female will vary depending on geographic location.

In urban areas, there are a wealth of resources available to the expectant mother -- teenager or not. In suburban locations, too, national and local organizations can help provide support --.