Biomaterial Database

The effect of pregnancy on adolescent growth and development. 1984

P C Leppert

Adolescent pregnancy represents a triple developmental crisis to young women, that of adolescence, pregnancy, and establishing a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Physiologically the adjustments of pregnancy are superimposed on those of pubescence. Psychologically and intellectually the pregnant adolescent is still developing, and it is thus difficult for her to meet the physiological demands of pregnancy. Society has responded by developing comprehensive programs for intensive care which have reduced considerably the risks of pregnancy. Contraceptive knowledge has not totally prevented the problems of teenage pregnancy, in part because the adolescents who become pregnant are not sufficiently developed intellectually to perceive that today's actions may prevent future consequences. This paper reviews the literature and synthesizes the published studies with personal experience gained in over five years of professional work with teenage women.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007224	Infant Care	Care of infants in the home or institution.
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D010553	Personality Development	Growth of habitual patterns of behavior in childhood and adolescence.	Development, Personality
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011253	Pregnancy in Adolescence	Pregnancy in human adolescent females under the age of 19.	Adolescent Pregnancy,Pregnancy, Adolescent,Pregnancy, Teenage,Preteen Pregnancy,Teenage Pregnancy,Teen Pregnancy,Adolescence, Pregnancy in,Adolescent Pregnancies,Pregnancies, Adolescent,Pregnancies, Preteen,Pregnancies, Teen,Pregnancies, Teenage,Pregnancy, Preteen,Pregnancy, Teen,Preteen Pregnancies,Teen Pregnancies,Teenage Pregnancies
D011295	Prenatal Care	Care provided the pregnant woman in order to prevent complications, and decrease the incidence of maternal and prenatal mortality.	Antenatal Care,Care, Antenatal,Care, Prenatal
D011627	Puberty	A period in the human life in which the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system takes place and reaches full maturity. The onset of synchronized endocrine events in puberty lead to the capacity for reproduction (FERTILITY), development of secondary SEX CHARACTERISTICS, and other changes seen in ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT.	Puberties
D005260	Female		Females
D006128	Growth	Gradual increase in the number, the size, and the complexity of cells of an individual. Growth generally results in increase in ORGAN WEIGHT; BODY WEIGHT; and BODY HEIGHT.
D006728	Hormones	Chemical substances having a specific regulatory effect on the activity of a certain organ or organs. The term was originally applied to substances secreted by various ENDOCRINE GLANDS and transported in the bloodstream to the target organs. It is sometimes extended to include those substances that are not produced by the endocrine glands but that have similar effects.	Hormone,Hormone Receptor Agonists,Agonists, Hormone Receptor,Receptor Agonists, Hormone