Adolescents who become pregnant are commonly driven by poverty and lack of education. Often, they are undernourished and have higher risks of developing pregnancy and childbirth complications. Babies born to adolescent mothers are more at risk of stillbirth, preterm delivery, and severe infections. Malnutrition from pregnancy until the child’s first two years of life has irreversible effects and life-long consequences.  If pregnancies among adolescents are prevented, the number of malnourished babies born will decrease, and more children will grow healthily.

Physically, the reproductive system of females aged 10-19 years old is not yet fully developed to facilitate pregnancy and childbirth. Getting pregnant during this age faces higher risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, childbirth injuries and uterine infections which are the leading causes of maternal deaths among this age group.  Unintended pregnancy also exposes these girls from sexually transmitted infections (STI) which can harm them and their babies.
When a girl becomes pregnant, her body is the source of nutrition for the child in her womb. If the adolescent mother is already nutritionally at-risk even before pregnancy, it is most likely that her child will also be undernourished. During childbirth, the adolescent mother may suffer from postpartum hemorrhage, trauma, and depression which may prevent her from breastfeeding her newborn.  On the other hand, the newborn may have conditions that need immediate medical assistance that may prevent breastfeeding to happen.  Several factors such as poverty, lack of education, lack of employment opportunities, and financial support make it difficult for the adolescent mothers in providing good nutrition to their children. Without support and proper interventions, the young mothers may end up being pregnant again and give birth to low birthweight infants, making it more difficult to end the cycle of malnutrition and poverty.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a total of 180,916 live births in 2019 of mothers aged 10-19 years old which is equivalent to 495 live births per day. It is 7% higher compared to 2018.  Pregnant adolescents remain to be nutritionally at-risk (28.5%) and anemic (8.2%) according to the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS). According to the 2016 United Nations Population Fund study, the adolescents lose an aggregate lifetime earnings of about 33 billion pesos due to early childbearing. Today, teenage pregnancy is considered as an urgent national priority by the Philippine government.

President Duterte has issued Executive Order 141 s.2021 which adopts as a national policy the implementation of measures to tackle the root causes of the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the country.  Interventions to prevent teenage pregnancies include the comprehensive sexuality education, education and employment opportunities for young people, and health promotion through media and communications.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) have joined hands to undertake the Social Protection Program for Teenage Mothers and their Children (SPPTMC) as mandated under the special provision of the General Appropriations Act of 2021. The SPPTMC seeks to prevent teenage pregnancies and establish a sufficient and accessible measures to protect the well-being of teenage mothers and their children.

The month of August is National Family Planning Month.  This year’s theme “Usap Tayo sa Family Planning, atbp” is aimed at integrating the messaging on family planning within the context of sexual and reproductive health during health crises, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection which can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), informed choice and responsible parenthood, and adolescent health and development.

The government is exerting efforts to address this urgent issue today, but all members of society particularly the families should help female adolescents get proper education and health services and protect them from become pregnant.  Education raises their status and helps them make wiser decision in life. If they can finish their schooling and get employed, they are better able to delay childbearing and more likely to have healthy pregnancy at the proper age and time, resulting in better health and nutrition outcomes for them and their children.

Teenage mothers without proper pre- and post-natal care and with poor nutrition are most likely to give birth to infants with stunted growth. If the child’s poor nutritional status will not be improved, the child if a girl, will grow into a young woman who becomes pregnant and give birth to a malnourished child, and the cycle of malnutrition persists.

We need to cut the vicious, intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.  We need to prevent teenage pregnancies and protect the well-being of young mothers and their children.

Written by:
Nutrition Officer I Jessica Ross P. Fernandez and
Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa V. Federizo


References:

• United nations population fund (https://www.unfpa.org/adolescent-pregnancy)
• Adolescent pregnancy (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy)
• Addressing teenage pregnancies declared as ‘national priority’ (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145373)
• 2019 ENNS Results Dissemination_Adolsecents and WRA (http://enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph/site/presentation.php?year=2019)
• DSWD, POPCOM teams up to address teenage pregnancy in the county (https://popcom.gov.ph/dswd-popcom-team-up-to-address-teenage-pregnancy-in-the-country/)
• Observance of the Family Planning Month on August 2021 with the Umbrella Theme “Usap Tayo sa Family Planning” (https://dmas.doh.gov.ph:8083/Search)
• 8M Pinoys embrace modern methods of family planning in 2020 (https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1149394)