Monday, September 27, 2010
Baby Hatch
An NGO in Malaysia has introduced baby hatch in order to curb baby dumping.The first baby hatch was opened at OrphanCARE premises in Petaling Jaya.For all we know,these unlucky babies were dumped at the toilets,rubbish sites,bins,rivers and many more places.Thus,this baby hatch can be an alternative to the mother to leave her baby anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared of.This program has the support of Ministry of Women,Family and Community Development.The hatch has a small door which opens to an to an incubator which a mother can place her baby.Once after the door is closed,an alarm bell will ring and alert the NGO staff to the baby presence right after the mother has left.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Effects on Teenage Pregnancy
Effects of teen pregnancies on the children involved. These children are far more likely to grow up in poverty, to have more health problems, to suffer from higher rates of abuse and neglect, to fail in school, to become teen mothers, to commit delinquent acts and adult crimes, and to incur failed adult marriages and other relationships.
The burdens of early childbearing on disadvantaged teens are undeniable. Trying to untangle the factors which contribute to teenage pregnancy from its effects, however, leads to a "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" dilemma. Educational failure, poverty, unemployment and low self-esteem are understood to be negative outcomes of early childbearing. These circumstances also contribute to the likelihood of teen pregnancy.
In general, teen mothers have much lower levels of educational attainment than other women, which severely limit their career options and sharply increase their likelihood of economic dependency. Only 70% of teen mothers complete high school or earn a GED, and far fewer
Risk Factors. Although it is not inevitable, some life circumstances place girls at higher risk of becoming teen mothers. These include poverty, poor school performance, growing up in a single parent household, having a mother who was an adolescent mother, or having a sister who has become pregnant.
Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue because of their observed negative effects on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity. The association of young maternal age and long-term morbidity is usually confounded, however, by the high prevalence of poverty, low level of education, and single marital status among teenage mothers.
Children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are controlled, the detrimental effects disappear and even some protective effects are observed.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
The burdens of early childbearing on disadvantaged teens are undeniable. Trying to untangle the factors which contribute to teenage pregnancy from its effects, however, leads to a "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" dilemma. Educational failure, poverty, unemployment and low self-esteem are understood to be negative outcomes of early childbearing. These circumstances also contribute to the likelihood of teen pregnancy.
In general, teen mothers have much lower levels of educational attainment than other women, which severely limit their career options and sharply increase their likelihood of economic dependency. Only 70% of teen mothers complete high school or earn a GED, and far fewer
Risk Factors. Although it is not inevitable, some life circumstances place girls at higher risk of becoming teen mothers. These include poverty, poor school performance, growing up in a single parent household, having a mother who was an adolescent mother, or having a sister who has become pregnant.
Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue because of their observed negative effects on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity. The association of young maternal age and long-term morbidity is usually confounded, however, by the high prevalence of poverty, low level of education, and single marital status among teenage mothers.
Children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are controlled, the detrimental effects disappear and even some protective effects are observed.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancies are still the norm in much of the developing world. Each child born to a young girl normally is considered a blessing.
Despite the fact that the teen birth rate is slowly falling, there are still an estimated one million teen pregnancies in the United States alone. About 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned, which in any population can increase the risk for problems. The biggest risk for teen mothers is delaying prenatal care or worse, 7.2% received no care at all.
The reason for lack of prenatal care is usually delayed pregnancy testing, denial or even fear of telling others about the pregnancy. Most states have a health department or University clinic where prenatal care is free or low cost and patient confidentiality is very important, meaning no one can tell the teen mother's family.
Teenage mothers are less likely to gain adequate weight during their pregnancy, leading to Low Birth weight which is associated with infant and childhood disorders and a high rate of infant mortality. Low-birth weight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems.
Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation. As a result, they may have an underdeveloped intellect and attain lower academic achievement.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Despite the fact that the teen birth rate is slowly falling, there are still an estimated one million teen pregnancies in the United States alone. About 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned, which in any population can increase the risk for problems. The biggest risk for teen mothers is delaying prenatal care or worse, 7.2% received no care at all.
The reason for lack of prenatal care is usually delayed pregnancy testing, denial or even fear of telling others about the pregnancy. Most states have a health department or University clinic where prenatal care is free or low cost and patient confidentiality is very important, meaning no one can tell the teen mother's family.
Teenage mothers are less likely to gain adequate weight during their pregnancy, leading to Low Birth weight which is associated with infant and childhood disorders and a high rate of infant mortality. Low-birth weight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems.
Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation. As a result, they may have an underdeveloped intellect and attain lower academic achievement.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Impact of Teenage Pregnancy
- Very destructive impact accrues over a teenage girl if she becomes pregnant after doing intercourse with a boy. The teenage girl comes under the grip of tremendous dilemma, after realizing some physical changes substantiating her becoming pregnant. She cant muster the courage to apprise her parent of what she is passing through and often leave every thing on fate. As the teens do not know as to what is awaited from their womb, they do their routine works without being much serious of some one getting nurtured in their womb by the nature. Before her lusting acts coming into the notice of her parents, the teenager is found to have put her and her unwanted baby’s life into peril. There remains no any option before her parent except to abort the fetus.
- Harm to girl and her unborn baby can’t be ruled out. So teenage pregnancy not only is immoral but dangerous as well, to the adolescent girl and her baby. It is the duty of responsible mother and father to prevent it from happening with their daughters by taking precautionary steps in advance.
- Teenage pregnancy affects the education of under fourteen girl and causes a great humiliation in her in friend circle. Teenage pregnancy spoils entire career of such teenage girls.
- Parents feel ashamed of their daughter, as her pregnancy makes their negligence public, in the ociety.
- Teenage pregnancy causes psychological and physical trauma to the girl forcing her often to commit suicide specially in the conservative families of developing countries where it is looked upon with hate.
- Pelvis being not grown up enough to sustain the baby leads to a variety of complications such as excessive discharge, unpleasant smell and infection.
- It causes in the teenage girls (in the developing countries), obstetric fistula, eclampsia, infant mortality and oftentimes maternal death.
Factors contributing in Teenage Pregnancy
- Spontaneous curiosity towards sex and a desire to taste it in the proximity of some boys exhorts the teenage girls to get involved in doing whatever they find most enjoyable with their opposite sex, leading to teenage pregnancy.
- Freedom to interact with boys and pass time with them for several hours in seclusion, has got to result into teenage pregnancy.
- Frustration- Carelessness on the part of parents causes a great frustration amongst the adolescents or teenagers, compelling them to seek affection and love form their boy friends. Opposite sex works like a remarkable remedy in lessening psychological dejection, leading to sex and subsequent teenage pregnancy.
- Lack Of Sex Education- Lack of sex education, specially to the teenage girls causes teenage pregnancy. Keeping in view such fact, all the parents should impart sex education upon their teenage daughters so that they should well be equipped with sex knowledge and save temselves from being victimized of teenage pregnancy.
- Sex Abuse- Being not aware of sexual impact maximum number of teenage girls go for sex for the sake of enjoyment only, which often results into theire getting pregnant.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Impact on the child
Early motherhood can affect the psychosocial development of the infant. The occurrence of developmental disabilities and behavioral issues is increased in children born to teen mothers.[81][82] One study suggested that adolescent mothers are less likely to stimulate their infant through affectionate behaviors such as touch, smiling, and verbal communication, or to be sensitive and accepting toward his or her needs.[81] Another found that those who had more social support were less likely to show anger toward their children or to rely upon punishment.[83]
Poor academic performance in the children of teenage mothers has also been noted, with many of them being more likely than average to fail to graduate from secondary school, be held back a grade level, or score lower on standardized tests.[6] Daughters born to adolescent parents are more likely to become teen mothers themselves.[6][60] A son born to a young woman in her teens is three times more likely to serve time in prison.[84]
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Poor academic performance in the children of teenage mothers has also been noted, with many of them being more likely than average to fail to graduate from secondary school, be held back a grade level, or score lower on standardized tests.[6] Daughters born to adolescent parents are more likely to become teen mothers themselves.[6][60] A son born to a young woman in her teens is three times more likely to serve time in prison.[84]
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Impact on the mother
Being a young mother in an industrialized country can affect one's education. Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school.[6] Recent studies, though, have found that many of these mothers had already dropped out of school prior to becoming pregnant, but those in school at the time of their pregnancy were as likely to graduate as their peers.[citation needed] One study in 2001 found that women who gave birth during their teens completed secondary-level schooling 10–12% as often and pursued post-secondary education 14–29% as often as women who waited until age 30.[72] Young motherhood in an industrialized country can affect employment and social class. Less than one third of teenage mothers receive any form of child support, vastly increasing the likelihood of turning to the government for assistance.[73] The correlation between earlier childbearing and failure to complete high school reduces career opportunities for many young women.[6] One study found that, in 1988, 60% of teenage mothers were impoverished at the time of giving birth.[74] Additional research found that nearly 50% of all adolescent mothers sought social assistance within the first five years of their child's life.[6] A study of 100 teenaged mothers in the United Kingdom found that only 11% received a salary, while the remaining 89% were unemployed.[75] Most British teenage mothers live in poverty, with nearly half in the bottom fifth of the income distribution.[76] Teenage women who are pregnant or mothers are seven times more likely to commit suicide than other teenagers.[77] Professor John Ermisch at the institute of social and economic research at Essex University and Dr Roger Ingham, director of the centre of sexual health at Southampton University – found that comparing teenage mothers with other girls with similarly deprived social-economic profiles, bad school experiences and low educational aspirations, the difference in their respective life chances was negligible.[78]
Teenage Motherhood may actually make economic sense for poorer young women, some research suggests. For instance, long-term studies by Duke economist V. Joseph Hotz and colleagues, published in 2005, found that by age 35, former teen moms had earned more in income, paid more in taxes, were substantially less likely to live in poverty and collected less in public assistance than similarly poor women who waited until their 20s to have babies. Women who became mothers in their teens — freed from child-raising duties by their late 20s and early 30s to pursue employment while poorer women who waited to become moms were still stuck at home watching their young children — wound up paying more in taxes than they had collected in welfare.[79] Eight years earlier, the federally commissioned report "Kids Having Kids" also contained a similar finding, though it was buried: "Adolescent childbearers fare slightly better than later-childbearing counterparts in terms of their overall economic welfare."[citation needed]
One-fourth of adolescent mothers will have a second child within 24 months of the first. Factors that determine which mothers are more likely to have a closely-spaced repeat birth include marriage and education: the likelihood decreases with the level of education of the young woman – or her parents – and increases if she gets married.[80]
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Teenage Motherhood may actually make economic sense for poorer young women, some research suggests. For instance, long-term studies by Duke economist V. Joseph Hotz and colleagues, published in 2005, found that by age 35, former teen moms had earned more in income, paid more in taxes, were substantially less likely to live in poverty and collected less in public assistance than similarly poor women who waited until their 20s to have babies. Women who became mothers in their teens — freed from child-raising duties by their late 20s and early 30s to pursue employment while poorer women who waited to become moms were still stuck at home watching their young children — wound up paying more in taxes than they had collected in welfare.[79] Eight years earlier, the federally commissioned report "Kids Having Kids" also contained a similar finding, though it was buried: "Adolescent childbearers fare slightly better than later-childbearing counterparts in terms of their overall economic welfare."[citation needed]
One-fourth of adolescent mothers will have a second child within 24 months of the first. Factors that determine which mothers are more likely to have a closely-spaced repeat birth include marriage and education: the likelihood decreases with the level of education of the young woman – or her parents – and increases if she gets married.[80]
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Limiting teenage pregnancies
Many health educators have argued that comprehensive sex education would effectively reduce the number of teenage pregnancies, although opponents argue that such education encourages more and earlier sexual activity.
In the UK, the teenage pregnancy strategy, which was run first by the Department of Health and is now based out of the Children, Young People and Families directorate in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, works on several levels to reduce teenage pregnancy and increase the social inclusion of teenage mothers and their families by:
In the United States the topic of sex education is the subject of much contentious debate. Some schools provide "abstinence-only" education and virginity pledges are increasingly popular. A 2004 study by Yale and Columbia Universities found that fully 88 percent of those who pledge abstinence have premarital sex anyway.[63] Most public schools offer "abstinence-plus" programs that support abstinence but also offer advice about contraception. A team of researchers and educators in California have published a list of "best practices" in the prevention of teen pregnancy, which includes, in addition to the previously mentioned concepts, working to "instill a belief in a successful future", male involvement in the prevention process, and designing interventions that are culturally relevant.[64]
The Dutch approach to preventing teenage pregnancy has often been seen as a model by other countries. The curriculum focuses on values, attitudes, communication and negotiation skills, as well as biological aspects of reproduction. The media has encouraged open dialogue and the health-care system guarantees confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach.[65]
In the developing world, programs of reproductive health aimed at teenagers are often small scale and not centrally coordinated, although some countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka have a systematic policy framework for teaching about sex within schools.[14] Non-governmental agencies such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation provide contraceptive advice for young women worldwide. Laws against child marriage have reduced but not eliminated the practice. Improved female literacy and educational prospects have led to an increase in the age at first birth in areas such as Iran, Indonesia, and the Indian state of Kerala.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
In the UK, the teenage pregnancy strategy, which was run first by the Department of Health and is now based out of the Children, Young People and Families directorate in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, works on several levels to reduce teenage pregnancy and increase the social inclusion of teenage mothers and their families by:
- joined up action, making sure branches of government and health and education services work together effectively;
- prevention of teenage pregnancy through better sex education and improving contraceptive and advice services for young people, involving young people in service design, supporting the parents of teenagers to talk to them about sex and relationships, and targeting high-risk groups;
- better support for teenage mothers, including help returning to education, advice and support, work with young fathers, better childcare and increasing the availability of supported housing.
In the United States the topic of sex education is the subject of much contentious debate. Some schools provide "abstinence-only" education and virginity pledges are increasingly popular. A 2004 study by Yale and Columbia Universities found that fully 88 percent of those who pledge abstinence have premarital sex anyway.[63] Most public schools offer "abstinence-plus" programs that support abstinence but also offer advice about contraception. A team of researchers and educators in California have published a list of "best practices" in the prevention of teen pregnancy, which includes, in addition to the previously mentioned concepts, working to "instill a belief in a successful future", male involvement in the prevention process, and designing interventions that are culturally relevant.[64]
The Dutch approach to preventing teenage pregnancy has often been seen as a model by other countries. The curriculum focuses on values, attitudes, communication and negotiation skills, as well as biological aspects of reproduction. The media has encouraged open dialogue and the health-care system guarantees confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach.[65]
In the developing world, programs of reproductive health aimed at teenagers are often small scale and not centrally coordinated, although some countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka have a systematic policy framework for teaching about sex within schools.[14] Non-governmental agencies such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation provide contraceptive advice for young women worldwide. Laws against child marriage have reduced but not eliminated the practice. Improved female literacy and educational prospects have led to an increase in the age at first birth in areas such as Iran, Indonesia, and the Indian state of Kerala.
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Global Incidence
Country | birth rate | abortion rate | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 7.7 | 3.9 | 11.6 |
| Spain | 7.5 | 4.9 | 12.4 |
| Italy | 6.6 | 6.7 | 13.3 |
| Greece | 12.2 | 1.3 | 13.5 |
| Belgium | 9.9 | 5.2 | 15.1 |
| Germany | 13.0 | 5.3 | 18.3 |
| Finland | 9.8 | 9.6 | 19.4 |
| France | 9.4 | 13.2 | 22.6 |
| Denmark | 8.2 | 15.4 | 23.6 |
| Sweden | 7.7 | 17.7 | 25.4 |
| Norway | 13.6 | 18.3 | 31.9 |
| Czech Republic | 20.1 | 12.4 | 32.5 |
| Iceland | 21.5 | 20.6 | 42.1 |
| Slovakia | 30.5 | 13.1 | 43.6 |
| Australia | 20.1 | 23.9 | 44 |
| Canada | 22.3 | 22.1 | 44.4 |
| Israel | 32.0 | 14.3 | 46.3 |
| United Kingdom | 29.6 | 21.3 | 50.9 |
| New Zealand | 33.4 | 22.5 | 55.9 |
| Hungary | 29.9 | 30.2 | 60.1 |
| United States | 55.6 | 30.2 | 85.8 |
| Country | Teenage birth rate per 1000 women 15–19 |
|---|---|
 South Korea | 3 |
 Japan | 4 |
 China | 5 |
 Switzerland | 5 |
 Netherlands | 5 |
 Spain | 6 |
 Singapore | 6 |
 Italy | 6 |
 Sweden | 7 |
 Denmark | 7 |
 Slovenia | 8 |
 Finland | 8 |
 Luxembourg | 9 |
 France | 9 |
 Belgium | 9 |
 Greece | 10 |
 Cyprus | 10 |
 Norway | 11 |
 Germany | 11 |
 Malta | 12 |
 Austria | 12 |
 Ireland | 15 |
 Poland | 16 |
 Canada | 16 |
 Australia | 16 |
 Albania | 16 |
 Portugal | 17 |
 Israel | 17 |
 Czech Republic | 17 |
 Iceland | 19 |
 Croatia | 19 |
 United Kingdom | 20 |
 Hungary | 21 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 23 |
 Slovakia | 24 |
 Latvia | 24 |
 Lithuania | 26 |
 Estonia | 26 |
 New Zealand | 27 |
 Belarus | 27 |
 Russia | 30 |
 Georgia | 33 |
 Macedonia | 34 |
 Armenia | 34 |
 Romania | 37 |
 Ukraine | 38 |
 Saudi Arabia | 38 |
 Bulgaria | 41 |
 Chile | 44 |
 Brazil | 45 |
 United States | 53 |
 Indonesia | 55 |
 Mexico | 64 |
 South Africa | 66 |
 India | 73 |
 Nigeria | 103 |
 Niger | 233 |
In the Indian subcontinent, early marriage sometimes means adolescent pregnancy, particularly in rural regions where the rate is much higher than it is in urbanized areas. The rate of early marriage and pregnancy has decreased sharply in Indonesia and Malaysia, although it remains relatively high in the former. In the industrialized Asian nations such as South Korea and Singapore, teenage birth rates are among the lowest in the world.[14]
The overall trend in Europe since 1970 has been a decreasing total fertility rate, an increase in the age at which women experience their first birth, and a decrease in the number of births among teenagers.[citation needed] Most continental Western European countries have very low teenage birth rates. This is varyingly attributed to good sex education and high levels of contraceptive use (in the case of the Netherlands and Scandinavia), traditional values and social stigmatization (in the case of Spain and Italy) or both (in the case of Switzerland).[3]
The teenage birth rate in the United States is the highest in the developed world, and the teenage abortion rate is also high.[3] The U.S. teenage pregnancy rate was at a high in the 1950s and has decreased since then, although there has been an increase in births out of wedlock.[15] The teenage pregnancy rate decreased significantly in the 1990s; this decline manifested across all racial groups, although teenagers of African-American and Hispanic descent retain a higher rate, in comparison to that of European-Americans and Asian-Americans. The Guttmacher Institute attributed about 25% of the decline to abstinence and 75% to the effective use of contraceptives.[16] [17] However, in 2006 the teenage birth rate rose for the first time in fourteen years.[18] This could imply that teen pregnancy rates are also on the rise, however the rise could also be due to other sources: a possible decrease in the number of abortions or a decrease in the number of miscarriages, to name a few. The Canadian teenage birth has also trended towards a steady decline for both younger (15–17) and older (18–19) teens in the period between 1992–2002.[19]
Posted by: Priyaa (A134500)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)