African American Teen Mothers Likely To Have Another Baby If Depressed

In a recent article published in Archives of Pediatrics
& Adolescent Medicine, another pregnancy is likely -
within two years of having one child - for African American adolescent
mothers with symptoms of depression.



Author Beth Barnet, M.D (University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore) and colleagues build on previous research that has shown a
greater likelihood for teen mothers to experience depression compared
to adult mothers. Additionally, depression in African American teen
mothers is almost twice as likely as depression in white teen mothers.
A pregnancy occurring within 24 months after a birth is said to be a
rapid subsequent pregnancy, and it is quite common among young mothers.




The researchers note that "a recent meta-analysis found that 19 percent
of teen mothers experienced a subsequent pregnancy within 12 months and
38 percent experienced a subsequent pregnancy within 24 months. The
highest rates are among younger, economically disadvantaged African
American adolescents." It is known that parenting stress and negative
parenting behaviors - i.e., child abuse and neglect - are linked to
depression and subsequent pregnancy.



Researchers examined a sample of 269 teens between the ages of 12 and
18, most of whom were African American. All participants were
considered low-income and received prenatal care at five community
sites in Baltimore, MD. To assess depressive symptoms and measure the
occurrence of subsequent pregnancy, researchers administered
questionnaires to participants that were finished one or two years
after giving birth.



The results of the study are summarized below:


46% of the teens who completed at least one follow-up
questionnaire had depressive symptoms at the beginning of the
study.
49% (120 of 245) teens experienced a pregnancy within two
years of childbirth.
10% (28 of 245) had more than one subsequent
pregnancy.
The average time between pregnancies was about 11.4 months.
Teens with depressive symptoms were 44% more likely to have
a subsequent pregnancy.

The authors write that, "Teens having a subsequent pregnancy were more
likely to be school dropouts; not use condoms consistently at
follow-up; and report a relationship with their baby's father, who
tended to be older,"



"Depression is unhealthy for mothers and their children. Treating
maternal depression improves the health and well-being of both,"
conclude the authors. "Our findings do not tell us how depression might
fit into a casual pathway to repeat adolescent childbearing, but they
do suggest that depression may be an important malleable risk factor."
Since depression can be treated, the researchers also call for future
studies that should "evaluate whether improved recognition and
treatment of adolescent depression reduces the risk of rapid subsequent
pregnancy."



Double Jeopardy: Depressive Symptoms and Rapid Subsequent
Pregnancy in Adolescent Mothers

Beth Barnet; Jiexin Liu; Margo DeVoe

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. (2008).
162(3):246-252.

Click
Here to View Abstract



Written by: Peter M Crosta