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Childbearing under 18 is not low risk. Very young mothers are at higher risk for certain types of potentially life-threatening complications than mothers in the
by cimmanom 8y ago
Childbearing under 18 is not low risk. Very young mothers are at higher risk for certain types of potentially life-threatening complications than mothers in their 20s, typically because even after reaching puberty the pelvis doesn’t reach its full width until full physical maturity (which is typically around 21 for women and 25 for men).
- souprock 8y agoSome things to bear in mind: The portion of the population that typically bears children before 18 is not randomly selected. High-risk behaviors are common in that population. Fetal alcohol syndrome (from abuse in the previous generation) reduces pelvis size. Properly controlling for all these factors is difficult, and it might purposely not be attempted. If delayed childbearing causes the entire window of childbearing years to shift, then we must also consider the risk with older mothers. By satisfying the urge for a family of a particular size, a birth at 17 might prevent a birth at 47. Modern medicine can do something about a difficult birth, but not very much about broken chromosomes. Full physical maturity varies greatly by individual. One can measure.
- freyir 8y ago> a birth at 17 might prevent a birth at 47 It's not an either-or proposition. What "urge for a family of a particular size" could not be satisfied between ages 20 and 47? Hopefully, you're not pushing your child to have "several children by age 20."