YOUNG MOTHERS AND THE CARE SYSTEM

Young Mothers and the Care System



Young Mothers and the Care System

Introduction

The UK has the highest rate of teenage births within Western Europe. One in every ten babies born in England is to a teenage mother. These children are at high risk of growing up in poverty and experiencing poor health and social outcomes. Babies born in the U.K. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers themselves are also at risk for these problems. Teenage pregnancy is usually a crisis for the pregnant girl and her family. Common reactions include anger, guilt, and denial. If the father is young and involved, similar reactions can occur in his family. Adolescents who become pregnant may not seek proper medical care during their pregnancy, leading to an increased risk for medical complications. Pregnant teenagers require special understanding, medical care, and education--particularly about nutrition, infections, substance abuse, and complications of pregnancy. They also need to learn that using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, can damage the developing fetus. All pregnant teenagers should have medical care beginning early in their pregnancy. This study emphasizes on the impact of risk and exposure and also focuses on that as pregnancy may not be a arranged activity, young women show option and prudence in their choice to become mothers.



Hypothesis

Pregnancy may be a planned activity, young women demonstrate choice and rationality in their decision to become mothers.

Pregnancy may not be a planned activity, young women demonstrate choice and rationality in their decision to become mothers.

Background

Although the UK has the highest levels of teenage pregnancy in western Europe, and while adolescent mothering has received considerable recent attention from researchers, there is a paucity of research literature about the particular experiences of young women who become mothers in or following local authority care(Allen, 2003). Findings from this empirical study reveal the significance of risk and vulnerability faced by a group of 55 young mothers following their exit from care(Guttmacher, 2005). Initiatives to reduce teenage pregnancy started with the introduction of the Health of the Nation White Paper which was followed by the creation of a unit exclusively dedicated to reducing teenage pregnancy rates(Dryburgh, 2002). The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (TPS) programme is designed to halve the number of teenage conceptions in young women aged under eighteen years by the year 2010, and to increase entry into education, training and employment for young parents(Mehta, 2007). The policy rationale asserts that by diminishing the rates of teenage motherhood, the associated risks of long-term social exclusion and welfare dependency will be removed (Chevalier and Viitanen, 2003). The research and policy emphasis accorded to this issue is such that it would appear that there has been a reduction in the number of conceptions to undereighteen- year-olds (Makinson, 2005).Research evidence also reveals that there are variations in the experiences of young people and that they are not equally vulnerable to teenage ...