Implications for Health Promotion
The following suggestions are aimed at fostering the
ongoing development of young women faced with the
demands of pregnancy and parenting.
• Promote continued academic achievement and
involvement with school. Efforts should be made to
set up quality childcare to enable adolescent mothers
to stay in school. Approaches that integrate health
services with school-based programs specifically
designed to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting
teens should be developed.
• Family members, friends, and/or baby’s father
should be encouraged to provide concrete support
and assistance with tasks such as baby-sitting. This
will allow the adolescent mother to spend some time
engaging in peer and school-related activities.