Those under 17 are 21 per cent more likely to have an early baby with first pregnancy
Teens aged 14 to 17 are more likely to give birth early than women in their twenties, according to an Irish research team which said that more studies are needed to find out the reason. In the study, which looked at all women aged 14 to 29 who gave birth in northwest England over a two-year period, 3,600 were aged 14 to 17, the BBC reports. More than a third of those came from socially underprivileged areas, and teen mothers were also more likely to be underweight. Pregnant women under 17 were 21 per cent more likely to have a premature baby with the first pregnancy, and 93 per cent with the second baby, for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear.