Conclusion
The conclusion based on the literature is that the health and psychological
well-being of teenage mothers and the well-being of
their children may be at risk. Teenage mothers have health needs
that are uniquely associated with their age group. They need sensitive
medical care and advice during pregnancy. In addition,
there is concern that, in the longer term, teenage mothers may
suffer psychological disturbance and somatic illness related to
material deprivation, psychological immaturity and a lack of
social support.
Teenagers may seek contraceptive advice from other sources
and receive obstetric care at their local hospital, but health problems
subsequent to motherhood lie firmly in the primary care
domain. The paucity of empirical evidence concerning the health
and well-being of teenage mothers and their children emphasizes the need for further research in the primary care domain. GPs
and other members of the primary care team can contribute to the
efforts to address these unresolved issues by either instigating or
being directly involved in research, or by their cooperation with
other researchers’ investigations. Research involving the primary
care team is necessary to determine the nature and extent of
long-term health problems associated with teenage motherhood
in order to inform health professionals and allow the implications
for health care provision to be assessed. Furthermore, researchers
should examine the interaction between health, social, economic
and psychological variables, and attempt to determine causal
rather than correlational factors, as this would be critical for the
development of effective care aimed at reducing or eliminating
the adverse health consequences of teenage pregnancy and motherhood.