The American family in crisis: Implications for children

Improving the life-course development of socially disadvantaged mothers: a randomized trial of nurse home visitation.

“…Adolescent mothers are in jeopardy of dropping out of school, having rapid successive pregnancies, and becoming dependent on welfare.2' Children of adolescent mothers are more likely to be afflicted with a variety of health and developmental problems.7-3 These maternal and child dysfunctions are even more likely to occur if an adolescent mother gives birth to a second child soon after the first.4'5,'4 Out-of-wedlock births create economic hardships and corresponding pressure on women to take low-paying jobs and/or to rely on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). 15 Children born out ofwedlock are also at risk for a host of problems,1619 but the extent to which those problems are due to the mother's single-parent status as opposed to poverty or young age is unclear.15 '20 Government expenditures on the sequelae of adolescent and out-of-wedlock childbearing are enormous. 2"22 During the past 20 years, numerous programs have been developed either to prevent unintended pregnancy in these socially disadvantaged groups23,24 or to reduce its consequences.…”