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  • Title: Teenage motherhood: its relationship to undetected learning problems.
    Author: Rauch-Elnekave H.
    Journal: Adolescence; 1994; 29(113):91-103. PubMed ID: 8036985.
    Abstract:
    This study describes characteristics of a group of 64 adolescent mothers and their infants who participated in a program for teenage mothers run by a local health department. A majority of the girls for whom California Achievement Test (CAT) scores were available scored one or more years below grade level in reading and in language skills. Relative delays in infant development (language and social domains) were also documented. High levels of self-esteem as well as general social acceptance (by adults and peers) of early out-of-wedlock parenting suggest that early motherhood may represent an alternative avenue to experiencing success for girls who are having academic difficulties. These findings, which suggest the likelihood of a high incidence of undetected learning problems in this population, indicate that these difficulties may have a significant relationship to the high rate of school dropout associated with adolescent motherhood. The findings bring into question the notion of "unintended pregnancies" and the wisdom of current federal policies for preventing adolescent parenthood that rely on the promotion of abstinence. An analysis of the characteristics of 64 adolescent mothers from North Carolina suggests that undetected, untreated learning disabilities may play an etiologic role in the high rate of teen childbearing in the US. Included in the study were girls 12-17 years of age who were enrolled in a comprehensive program for teen mothers and their infants sponsored by an urban public health department. Average age at first intercourse among the 64 subjects was 13.3 years, while that at first birth was 15.5 years. 12 (18%) of teen mothers were not attending school at the time of the survey. 56% of the subjects for whom California Achievement Test (CAT) scores were available tested 1 or more years below grade level in Total Reading and 38% fell into this category in Total Language. On the Math Performance subtest, 36% were 1 or more years behind grade level. Notable was the finding that only 2 of the girls had been referred for evaluations for special education. Administration of Bayley Scales of Infant Development to the babies of the teen mothers showed relative delays in language and social skills. There was no evidence of impaired self-esteem among the teen mothers, and only 43% reported having a negative reaction to their pregnancy; in addition, only 43% claimed their families were unhappy about the pregnancy. It is hypothesized that adolescent pregnancy represents a realistic option for teens with learning problems in that it provides an opportunity for success that is not available through education. Moreover, a substantial number of allegedly unplanned teen pregnancies may, in fact, be manifestations of a conscious choice to escape the negative experiences adolescents with learning problems face in the school system. Thus, the identification of children with special educational needs and the provision of necessary support services may contribute indirectly to a reduction in adolescent pregnancies.
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