Teenage Pregnancy and Micronutrient Deficiency: A Critical Review

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical stage where growth is at its peak and when a pregnancy occurs in this period, it represents a greater nutritional risk for both the mother and the growing fetus. Young pregnant adolescents are more likely to give birth to babies with certain congenital anomalies, lower birth weight, and higher chances of infant mortality. Insufficient micronutrients in maternal nutrition during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects in newborns. This can be attributed to the fact that the developing fetus depends on the mother's nutrition for its proper growth, metabolic processes, and proper development. Malnutrition during pregnancy can lead to a variety of birth defects, including neural tube closure defects, cleft lip and palate, congenital heart defects, and increased fetal mortality. Iron deficiency early in pregnancy in the first and second trimesters could lead to premature birth or decreased birth weight and negatively impact the health of newborns. Most spontaneous abortions observed in adolescents during the first trimester could be attributed to nutritional deficiency of the mothers prior to conception. Few of the miscarriages observed in adolescents during the first trimester could be attributed to the nutritional deficiency of the mothers prior to conception. https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v18i3.1592

Keywords

• pregnancy
• teenagers
• anaemia
• micronutrients