Teenage fathers. Stresses during gestation and early parenthood.

To determine the nature of the stresses experienced by teenage fathers, 20 youths (mean age, 17.6 years) were interviewed from one to four times during the prenatal period and at four to six weeks following delivery. While all conceptions had occurred premaritally, most couples had married by the time of delivery. A total of 44 interviews were performed: four during first trimester, 12 during second trimester, 17 during third trimester, and 11 postpartum. Stressors reported by the subjects were grouped into four categories: vocational-educational concerns, concerns about the health of the mother and/or the baby, concerns about future parenthood, and problems with relationships. It was found that the intensity of these concerns changed throughout pregnancy and the neonatal period. Subjects who had expected the pregnancy to occur tended to report less stress during the third trimester than did teens who had not anticipated conception.