Men over 60 'have healthier babies than teen fathers' | Mail Online
"Older men have healthier babies than their teenage counterparts, says a study.
Even if the man is in his 60s, the health risks for the child are no higher than average.
In contrast, babies with fathers in their teens have more chance of arriving prematurely or dying before their first birthday. "
"Teen mothers are more likely than
mothers over age 20 to give birth
prematurely (before 37 completed
weeks of pregnancy). Between
2003 and 2005, preterm birth rates
averaged 14.5 percent for women
under age 20 compared to 11.9
percent for women ages 20 to 29.5
Babies born prematurely face an
increased risk of newborn health
problems, long-term disabilities and
even death.
What are the health risks to babies
of teen mothers?
A baby born to a teenage mother is
at higher risk than a baby born to
an older mother for premature birth,
low birthweight, other serious health
problems and death.
Babies of teenage mothers are more
likely to die in the first year of life
than babies of women in their twenties
and thirties. The risk is highest for
babies of mothers under age 15.
In 2005, 16.4 out of every 1,000
babies of women under age 15 died,
compared to 6.8 per 1,000 for babies
of women of all ages.9
Teenage mothers are more likely to
have a low-birthweight baby. Most
low-birthweight babies are born
prematurely. The earlier a baby is
born, the less she is likely to weigh.
In 2006, 10 percent of mothers ages
15 to 19 had a low-birthweight baby,
compared to 8.3 percent for mothers
of all ages.2 The risk is higher for
younger mothers:
11.7 percent of 15-year-old mothers
had a low-birthweight baby in 2006;
18,403 babies were born to girls this
age, with 2,153 of low birthweight.2
9.5 percent of 19-year-old mothers
had a low-birthweight baby in
2006; 172,999 babies were born to
these women, with 16,362 of low
birthweight."
http://www.marchofdimes.com/glue/files/teenage-pregnancy.pdf