Pregnancy & Childbirth

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Teenage mothers
Teenage mothers
Government resources on parenting
Websites dealing with teenage pregnancy issues
Other on-line resources for healthcare workers


Teenage mothers

The UK has the highest rate of teenage births within Western Europe. One in every ten babies born in England is to a teenage mother. These children are at high risk of growing up in poverty and experiencing poor health and social outcomes. Infant mortality rates for babies born to mothers under the age of 18 are twice the national average. Girls from the poorest backgrounds are ten times more likely to become teenage mothers than girls from professional backgrounds. Tackling teenage pregnancy is central to the British Government’s work to prevent health inequalities, child poverty and social exclusion.

There are many internet sites that discuss the issues surrounding teenage pregnancy. A few sites are listed below; within each of these are links to many further useful on-line resources.


Government resources on parenting

The Teenage Pregnancy Unit is a cross-Government unit located within the Department for Education and Skills. The website contains information about the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, including guidance issued by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit, and relevant publications from other Government Departments.
www.dfes.gov.uk/teenagepregnancy

Department of Health information on teenage pregnancy.
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance

The DirectGov website provides advice on a wide range of parenting issues, including teenage pregnancy, and has links to other useful contacts for parents.
www.direct.gov.uk/Audiences/Parents/HavingABaby

The Department of Health Best Practice Guidance for doctors and other health professionals on the provision of advice and treatment to young people under 16 on contraception, sexual and reproductive health.
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics

The Health Development Agency (HDA) is the national authority on what works to improve people's health and to reduce health inequalities. There is much information on teenage pregnancy including the HDA 2003 review of teenage pregnancy in the HDA Evidence Base.
www.hda-online.org.uk


Websites dealing with teenage pregnancy issues

The BBC website offers information, news and links to other sites dealing with teenage pregnancy issues.
www.bbc.co.uk

The R U Thinking About It website is aimed at young people and provides information about sex, sexual health, pregnancy and relationships.
www.ruthinking.co.uk

Parentline Plus is a UK charity that offers support to anyone parenting a child. It offers a telephone counselling service to all parents. The site is packed with information on parenting issues, including a section on teenage pregnancy.
www.parentlineplus.org.uk

The National Children's Bureau promotes the interests and wellbeing of all children and young people across every aspect of their lives.
www.ncb.org.uk


Other on-line resources for healthcare workers

Intute offers free access to a searchable catalogue of hand-selected and evaluated, quality internet resources for education and research. There is an Intute topic covering adolescent pregnancy.
www.intute.ac.uk

The Parenting Education and Support Forum is a national umbrella organisation for all those concerned with or working with children, parents and families in the UK. It provides a focal point for information, debate and the sharing of good practice in parenting education and support.
www.parentinguk.org

The National Family and Parenting Institute is a charity established by the government to research, inform and debate parenting and family issues in the UK. There is a comprehensive list of links to other parenting organisations, including specific Scottish and Welsh sites.
www.nfpi.org.uk

The Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) website provides information about the organisation and its work. It also provides a gateway to many other sites that provide information on community nursing, public health and primary healthcare.
www.amicus-cphva.org

The Women's Health specialist library is a virtual library providing access to a growing collection of quality evaluated resources and links for health professionals working in the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology, and also for patients and others interested in the topics. Provided by the National Library for Health (NLH), this on-line library provides access to information on a wide variety of topics concerning women's health issues.
www.library.nhs.uk/womenshealth

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is Britain’s professional union of midwives. The RCM produces information and advice on a wide range of midwifery issues, much of which can be found on its website.
www.rcm.org.uk

This content is not intended nor does it replace individual professional advice. Please contact a healthcare professional or seek advice from NHS Direct (0845 46 47) NHS Direct Wales (0845 46 47) or NHS 24 in Scotland (08454 24 24 24).

                

last reviewed 01 May 2005
last updated 10 April 2007

 

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