Women who give birth as teenagers are more likely to become overweight or obese later in life, a new US study has claimed.
The study debunks the myth that younger moms are more likely to 'bounce back' after having a baby, instead they found that teenage pregnancy puts women at greater risk for later obesity.
The research by University of Michigan Health System is the first to identify teen pregnancy as a predictor of obesity.
Scientists found that women who had first given birth between the ages 13-19 had a 32 per cent higher risk of obesity than women who had given birth at age 20 or later.
"When taking care of teen moms, we often have so many immediate concerns - child care, housing, school, social and financial support - that we don't often think of the long term health effects of teen pregnancy," said lead author Tammy Chang, a clinical lecturer in the department of family medicine at the U-M Medical School.
The study was based on data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a study designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the US.
The findings also showed that a significantly fewer number of women with a teen birth were normal weight compared to women without a teen birth.
"We need further studies to better understand the link between teen birth and obesity, so that physicians and policymakers can provide the best care to teen mothers and women who have given birth as teenagers," Chang said.
The study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
