Which factor is commonly associated with delivering a low birthweight infant in adolescent pregnancies?

Which factor is commonly associated with delivering a low birthweight infant in adolescent pregnancies?

• A. Advanced maternal age
• B. Delayed prenatal care
• C. Regular prenatal care
• D. Short gestation

Answer: (B)

Late initiation of prenatal care is the factor commonly linked to delivering a low birthweight infant in adolescent pregnancies. When visits begin late or are infrequent, fetal growth and maternal health issues aren’t detected or managed early enough, increasing the risk of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction, the two main ways a baby ends up with low birth weight. Teens often face barriers to care—financial constraints, transportation, stigma, and limited health literacy—that lead to delayed or irregular prenatal visits. Regular prenatal care helps monitor fetal growth, ensure adequate maternal nutrition and weight gain, screen for infections or anemia, and manage conditions that can contribute to restricted growth or preterm delivery. While short gestation directly causes low birth weight, and advanced maternal age isn’t typical in adolescent pregnancies, the pattern seen in teens is the association with late or inadequate prenatal care, which elevates the risk of delivering a low birthweight infant.

Late initiation of prenatal care is the factor commonly linked to delivering a low birthweight infant in adolescent pregnancies. When visits begin late or are infrequent, fetal growth and maternal health issues aren’t detected or managed early enough, increasing the risk of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction, the two main ways a baby ends up with low birth weight. Teens often face barriers to care—financial constraints, transportation, stigma, and limited health literacy—that lead to delayed or irregular prenatal visits. Regular prenatal care helps monitor fetal growth, ensure adequate maternal nutrition and weight gain, screen for infections or anemia, and manage conditions that can contribute to restricted growth or preterm delivery. While short gestation directly causes low birth weight, and advanced maternal age isn’t typical in adolescent pregnancies, the pattern seen in teens is the association with late or inadequate prenatal care, which elevates the risk of delivering a low birthweight infant.