Pregnant adolescents: health outcomes and social support

Pregnant Adolescents

Teen pregnancy is a significant concern for public school systems. Teen pregnancy and parenting can lead to increased drop out rates for schools. Kentucky ranks 25th in the United States, for teen pregnancy, and 14th for teen birth rate. In 2004, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said the birth rate for those under aged 18, was 9.4/1000. The National Center for Health Statistics and CDC note Kentucky's birth rates in teens rose by 11% for the years 2005 to 2006 ("Statistics"). In Louisville, Kentucky, at Westport Alternative High School, the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) was designed to give these increasing numbers of teens an opportunity to stay in school and graduate, despite becoming parents so early on in life. This program has had significant success, through the resources it offers students.

Westport TAPP:

TAPP was developed in 1970. Since this time, the program has enabled thousands of pregnant and newly parenting young women to complete their education. The program helps these young women overcome many of the barriers they face, including: child care issues, illness, transportation, and medical care access. These valuable services, and more, are offered on site through the TAPP program, so the student doesn't have to leave the school campus while receiving her education. Program Director, Sara York, notes that a medical clinic, child care center, family programs, and SMART grant services are support services TAPP offers young women to ensure they succeed in accomplishing their educational goals. In fact, 97% of students graduate this year, with an increasing percentage of students enrolling in college, and the program has been recognized as the country's Most Outstanding Intervention Program, by the National Organization of Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting.

The medical component of the TAPP program was developed to allow the students to continue their educations, while also receiving a high level of wellness for both mother and baby. TAPP offers on site obstetricians and nurses who specialize in teen, high-risk pregnancies. The TAPP medical program is a collaboration between Jefferson County Public Schools, the Louisville Metro Health Department, and the University of Louisville School of Medicine and School of Nursing. Medical doctors, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners, and Registered Nurses teach, assist and monitor the young women and their babies, daily. This includes information regarding the benefits of breastfeeding, instructional assistance and support once the baby arrives. Family planning and birth control information are presented to students for future planning to help prevent future unplanned pregnancies. A Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinic also provides students with nutritional information during their pregnancy and after the baby is born ("Medical Component").

Conclusion: