The children of adolescent mothers: Physical, academic, and psychological outcomes.

by Brooks-Gunn, J; Furstenberg, Frank F.

Developmental Review. Vol 6(3), Sep 1986, 224-251.  

 

Reviews individual differences in the expression of parenting by different-aged mothers in light of the origins of parenting practices and their effect on the young child's social, physical, and cognitive development. Approaches to the study of teenage pregnancy are discussed along with statistical representations of the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Research on teenage parenting practices, likely antecedents of parenting practices, and outcomes of teenage motherhood for the child is reviewed. Problems related to methodology and the interpretation of findings regarding teenage parenting are discussed. It is reported that most studies have failed to separate the relative effects of social and economic disadvantages and teenage parenting, making interpretation of the outcomes of teenage parenting difficult. In addition, most studies focus on the prototypic teenage mother (Black, urban, poor, and unmarried), making generalizations to other groups difficult. Major outcome findings indicate that intellectual differences in children born to teenage and older childbearers become more pronounced as children develop. Behavior differences as a function of age of childbearing are more likely to be seen in the early years than intellectual differences. Problems appear in activity levels, hostility, and undercontrol of behavior. Boys appear to be more affected by teenage childbearing than girls, at least in the early years.