The Effects of Unwanted Pregnancy

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, around one-third of American pregnancies are unplanned. Researchers Nancy Felipe Russo, Ph.D from Arizona State University and Henry P. David, Ph.D. from the Transnational Family Research Institute state that bonding with a new born baby is imperative for child development, and sometimes, if the child was unwanted, the effects can be devastating.

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    Health Problems

    • Both Russo and David and the National Campaign state that often women who face an unwanted pregnancy do not get prenatal care, putting their baby at risk for a premature birth, low birth weight, or other neurological disorders.

    Single Families

    • Women must often raise the unwanted child by themselves, working a low-paying job, and the child may be forced to live below the poverty line. The mother may take her stress out on the child and start the cycle of child abuse.

    Cognitive Issues

    • Children born to unprepared mothers may suffer academically as well. Since they live in poor neighborhoods, and their mother is always working and not spending time interacting with them, children may learn the alphabet or their numbers significantly later.

    Behavior

    • According to Russo and David, unwanted children may suffer from low self-esteem during their childhood, and later act out their frustrations by turning to criminal behavior.

    Abortion

    • As of 2007, 1.3 million abortions were performed because of unwanted pregnancies. The National Campaign for Teen Pregnancy wants to find ways to lessen the need for abortion in the first place.

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