High-Risk Infants of Teenage Mothers: Later Candidates for Special Education Placements?

Abstract

Almost 600,000 infants are bom to teenage mothers each year. These teenage mothers and their infants are at multiple risk to impaired birth and growth—physically, socially, and cognitively. This article reviews some of the more relevant research on the problem of teenage pregnancy, the special educational needs of the infants of these teenage mothers, and the current intervention programs for teenage mothers and infants. Recent research demonstrates that intervention programs for teenage mothers and infants can have an impact on infant mortality, morbidity, and prematurity as well as on the infant's social and cognitive development. In addition, these programs can have an impact on the mother's graduation from high school, employment, repeat pregnancies, and parenting skills. Enhancing parenting skills has been found to affect children's cognitive development. It would seem wise for society to invest more money and effort into preventing untoward pregnancies, preventing birth deficits, and enhancing and supporting parenting skills. Preventable special education placements could be avoided.

Adolescent Mothers of Handicapped Children: A Challenge for Interventionists

“…Results from studies assessing whether teenaged mothers provide as positive an affective climate as older mothers vary (Anastasiow, 1983;Brooks-Gunn & Furstenberg, 1986). Although other age-related, comparative studies suggest that factors other than age alone (e.g., education, locus of control, SES) contribute greatly to observed differences in parenting behavior (Gunter & LaBarba, 1980;Landerholm, 1982), a summary of the research definitely indicates that adolescent mothers are at higher risk for less-than optimal interactive behaviors with their children than are adult mothers.…”

“…Mothers who are 15 years old or younger are twice as likely to have preterm babies (Washington & Glimps, 1983). Landerholm (1982) summarizes studies reporting that adolescent mothers have 20% more medical problems at the birth of their child than do older mothers and that poor nutrition is most likely in 13-to 16-year-olds. Young parents have continued problems, because childbearing adolescents are less likely to compete high school, find stable jobs, marry, or become self-supporting (Brooks-Gunn & Furstenberg, 1986;Furstenberg, 1976).…”

Methodological Caveats in the Assessment of Single-Parent Families of Handicapped Children

“…Such findings have important implications for policies and interventions for single-parent families. If negative outcomes are assumed to be the inevitable consequence of father absence, little effort will be expended in identifying or meeting the families' real needs for educational and vocational programs for mothers (Landerholm, 1982), day care and intervention programs for children (Campbell, Breitmayer, & Ramey, 1986) and respite care and financial assistance for these families (Holroyd, 1974;Wikler, 1979).…”