Recent reports from the National Center for Health Statistics reveal that birth rates have declined for all teen age groups in the United States and Pennsylvania in 1997, the most recent year for which statistics are available. These declines mirror longer societal trends in teen birth rates, which have declined since 1950. Despite these trends, however, when teen pregnancy and birth rates are compared across nations, the United States lags far behind other industrialized countries. Moreover, regardless of the declining trends, the costs associated with teenage childbearing remain significant for teen mothers and their children.
Pennsylvania's school-based Pregnant and Parenting Teen Initiative aims to increase the positive outcomes for teen mothers and their children in a number of areas surrounding education, health, and self-sufficiency, by providing a diverse array of services. This paper uses outcome data from the 1998/1999 school year to report short-term outcomes for teen mothers and their children who participate in Pennsylvania's program.
During the 1998/1999 school year a total of 5,752 students participated in the 50 sites across Pennsylvania. Each year data is collected surrounding maternal and child health outcomes. Highlights from this year's data analysis find the following positive prenatal and child health outcomes: Over 75% of participants received first trimester prenatal care, 8.6% of the participants had a repeat pregnancy, the percentage of low birthweight babies among participants is only 8.5%, approximately 98% of the children of participants are up to date on their immunizations. These figures compare well to available national estimates.
Learning Objectives: Expected skills to aquire: APHA members who listen to this paper should gain a better understanding of Pennsylvania's teen parenting program. They should also recognize the link between school-based programs for teen mothers and short-term maternal and child health outcomes. Outcomes participants should be able to demonstrate: identify important components of teen parenting programs and discuss how the context of teenage childbearing in Pennsylvania has changed since welfare reform legislation was initiated. The learning objectives include: being able to list important maternal and child health outcomes; understanding recent national and state demographic trends in teenage childbearing; and think about how teen parenting programs can better serve pregnant and parenting teens
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Maternal and Child Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Pennsylvania's PPT/ELECT teen parenting program
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.