FRIDAY, Aug. 24, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- If children born to teen-agers develop learning problems, don't blame them on mom's age. It could be an array of other factors, a new study says.
Analyzing data on more than 340,000 kindergartners in Florida public schools from l992 to l994, researchers found that the education, poverty level and other social factors of teen-age moms have a lot more to do with how well their kids perform in school than their ages.
And the researchers say the good news is that programs to assist teen moms and their kids during the first five or six years improve children's outcomes.
"Over the last 25 years, from a statistical standpoint, all we've had is a variable called the maternal age," when looking for contributors to learning disabilities and academic problems in children, says senior study author Michael B. Resnick, professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Besides education, marital status, poverty status and social demographic factors, "you have to look at other factors to see what is happening to the kids, Resnick says.
Indeed, kids born to mothers over age 35 had more problems than those of teen-age moms, pointing out the need for intervention programs for older mothers as well, he says. "With approximately 30 percent of births occurring in women over 35, this issue is very important," Resnick says.
Lead study author Ralitza V. Gueorguieva says she wasn't surprised by the findings. "A teen-age mother, just because she's teen-aged is not as disadvantaged as we think. Most likely it's social disadvantages, which may be corrected."
Gueorguieva, who now is an associate research scientist in the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine says, "If a teen-age mother has a child, then everything should be done to improve her education and economic status so the disadvantage at which the child is placed, disappears over time."
"When you improve education, you improve the outcomes of the children. If you become educated, you're more eligible for the work force and won't stay in poverty," Resnick says.
The study looked at information schools gathered about the children's physical, sensory, mental or emotional impairment, data the schools used to place students in various programs. The researchers compared that information with the mother's age, marital status, race, sex and poverty status at the time of the child's birth.
Gueorguieva says the large sample size gives her confidence in the results, but there's always going to be controversy over what might be responsible for learning disabilities.
"Some say they are acquired; some say they are genetic." Either way, Gueorguieva says it's necessary to work with teen-age mothers and help them and their children."
Bill Albert, spokesman for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, says, "Teen pregnancy is a very complicated issue, closely linked to poverty and other issues." Once a teen-ager becomes pregnant, "we have to make sure the young women -- and fathers -- stay in school and get an education," he says.
The study appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
What To Do:
To read the Center for Disease Control's report on the drop in teen birth rates, click here.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute has some facts on teen sex and pregnancy and the BabyCenter can give you tips on being a good mother.
