A new study shows for the first time that pregnancy in teenage years leads to a greater risk of obesity in the future, according to Medical Xpress.
Researchers from the University of Michigan have found a link between teenage pregnancy and obesity, which is the first study of the kind, says the report. Tammy Chang, M.D., MPH, MS, lead author of the study and a clinical lecturer in the department of family medicine at the U-M Medical School and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar, noted that immediate concerns with teen moms often ignore the health risks involved in later life.
But now, the new study shows the risks involved with teenage pregnancies in addition to the immediate risks like babies born with low weight or even difficulty in completing high school. In the long run, teenage moms are exposed to obesity which is "one of the most debilitating, long-term health issues we face," Chang said.
For the study, researchers used data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national study intended to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States.
The study found that teens who gave birth between the age of 13 and 19 years, were at 32 percent higher risk of obesity than others who give birth after the age of 20. Researcher controlled factors such as race, education, socio-economic indicators, but did not change the end result.
Researchers also noted a lesser number of women with a teen birth had a normal weight against women without a teen birth.
"We need further studies to better understand the link between teen birth and obesity, so that physicians and policymakers can provide the best care to teen mothers and women who have given birth as teenagers," Chang said.
Chang also addressed the serious risks involved with obesity, a growing health problem in the U.S.
The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
