Teen moms are the most likely to experience heart problems as they get older
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Teen moms are exposed to a lot more risks than women over 20 who decide to have a baby, and a recent research has just discovered a new one to add. It seems that those women who get pregnant during teenage years are more likely to develop heart problems as they grow older. This risk is higher than the one present in women who have their first baby after the age of 20, or in those who do not have children.
Teen moms have a higher heart disease risk than any other women
For this research, scientists looked at data collected during the 2012 study on International Mobility in Aging. The participants were 1,000 women aged between 65 and 74, coming from various cultural backgrounds and countries, such as Albania, Colombia, Brazil, and Canada. For this study, researchers measured the women’s Farmingham Risk Score.
This score is measured in women only, and can tell how likely they are to develop cardiovascular problems. The results showed that those women who had a baby before turning 20 were a lot more likely to have heart disease than those who never became mothers, or even those who had more children.
Teenage pregnancy is often associated with a poorer social status
The study doesn’t suggest that teen moms were less healthy, or that they led a precarious lifestyle after having the baby. However, the results showed they came mostly from poorer families, meaning that they couldn’t afford the same health services as other women. Also, having the baby so early in life often takes other opportunities from them, such as better education and career advancement.
This highlights one thing that is necessary. Medical officials need to find solutions to improve the health care offerings given to teen moms, so that they might live a better life and reduce their future health risks. Teenage pregnancy is often seen as a taboo, but this shouldn’t mean the banishment of these women, and their condemnation to a poor life.
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