More than playing house: a developmental perspective on the strengths in teenage motherhood.

Historically, the literature on adolescent pregnancy and motherhood has focused primarily on negative outcome. A review of current research reveals that outcomes for many teenage mothers and their children are not necessarily bleak. Indeed, becoming a parent can stimulate positive change in the adolescent's life. It is suggested that developmental level interacts with psychological, sociocultural, economic, family, and health variables to create a context in which teenage pregnancy can be an inhibitor or an enhancer of maturation.