Adolescent pregnancy and child welfare: is mother's age a determining factor?

Maria-Coleta de Oliveira, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
Joice Vieira, State University of Campinas

Using data from the 2006 Demography and Health of Women and Children (PNDS), the study´s aim is to explore the hypotheses about the effect of adolescent motherhood for both mothers and children. Were considered adolescent mothers those who got pregnant or gave birth before 20 years old. The first part of the paper draws a sociodemographic profile of adolescent mothers as well as a descriptive analysis of their perceptions about their childbearing experiences: their explanation for the event, the perceived life changes upon the delivery, and the degree of autonomy in taking decisions. The focus of the analyses turns to the children of adolescent mothers in the second part of the paper. Health indicators of 0-5 years old children will be examined. Anthropometric measures, nutrition and food availability for the children adult and adolescent mothers will be explored as proxies of the level of children’s welfare.