ADOLESCENT PARENTHOOD - ROLE OF THE PEDIATRICIAN

Pediatricians and other health care providers need to understand adole scent parenthood and its implication in order to provide effective acu te, routine and preventive care to mother and child. The paper discuss es risks of adolescent parenthood both to mother and child and interve ntion programs that appear to work. The role of the pediatrician in ca ring for children of adolescent parents is presented. Both the public and scientific communities have recently focused a great deal of atten tion on the growing rate of adolescent pregnancy and adolescent parent ing resulting in a growing number of ''at fisk'' children. Pediatricia ns and other health care providers need a realistic understanding of a dolescent parenthood and its implications in order to provide effectiv e acute, routine and preventive care to mother and child. The purpose of this article is to review data regarding the problems related to ad olescent parenthood and a review of intervention programs that appear to work. The pediatrician's role in caring for children of adolescent parents in an office or clinic-based practice is presented, based on t his body of knowledge and the authors clinical experience working with adolescent mothers and their children.