Premature birth, low birth weight

The Northwest Herald, a local newspaper for McHenry County, Illinois, recently had an article titled "Pop Culture, Reality Contrast on Teen Pregnancy". One comment in the article is the following:

Pregnant teens are less likely than older women to receive good prenatal care and are more likely to be depressed during the pregnancy, said Carlos Mendez, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Centegra Health System. Teenagers’ babies are more likely to be born prematurely, to have low birth weight, and to die shortly after birth, he said.

Please help your pregnant teen or college student get prenatal care as soon as possible. Be alert to signs of depression in your daughter, and talk to her about her feelings. With your daughter, do research on how she can improve the health of her baby before birth so that her child is less likely to be born prematurely and less likely to have low birth weight.