Teenage motherhood: the first year. Part i: the teenage mother's views and responses part ii: how the infants fared.

Twelve teenagers, age 14--19 , were interviewed at 12 periods during the first year of motherhood to study the impact of motherhood on them and their infants. Three of the young women did not achieve the maternal role. Among the others, those who had no untoward difficulties with the mothering role viewed themselves as having grown through the experience of motherhood, had a supportive mate, had a mother who recognized them as capable of mothering, noted increasingly more rewards in mothering, and had family members who helped them with infant care. Four of the infants had to remain in the hospital following their mothers' discharge from the hospital. Two infants suffered failure-to-thrive syndrome at four months and one a fractured skull (etiology unknown)) at four weeks. Thirty-four other illnesses or problems occurred after the initial discharge. Four periods appeared critical for the infants during the year: the first days following birth; one month; between the third and fourth month; and between the sixth and ninth months.