Adolescent pregnancy and unfinished developmental tasks of childhood.

Adolescent pregnancy may occur when developmental needs have not been met adequately during earlier childhood stages. Reasons adolescents give for becoming pregnant may indicate which developmental needs were not met. Once developmental needs have been identified, professionals can help the adolescent and her child by tailoring interventions to fill gaps that occurred during earlier stages of development. This article explores the potential relationship between adolescent pregnancy and unfinished developmental tasks of childhood. Implications for intervention are addressed.