The Experience of Being an Adolescent Mother of a High-Risk Newborn: Case Study

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is considered a public health issue with high social impact. Mexico has the highest rates, ranking first place in the world. The implications on the lives of these women are diverse, affecting different areas of life.Objective: to learn about the experience of being an adolescent mother of a high-risk newborn.Methods: qualitative, descriptive, exploratory single case study with a categorical and phenomenological analytical strategy. The participant is a 20 year-old woman who became mother of twins at 17 years of age. A semi-structured interview was conducted and informed consent was obtained. The analysis consisted of the transcription and incoding of information. According to this the following analytical categories were obtained: perception of adolescent maternity, personal, familiar and social consequences, emotional sequelae, parenting and resignification of life. Conclusion:Adolescent mothers experience significant personal, social and family consequences upon motherhood. Further investigation is necessary regarding personal experiences in this population, in order to delve deeper into this problem. This will contribute to identifying modifications, meanings and guidelines that allow these mothers adapt to the conditions they are subjected to. Furthermore, this acknowledges the importance of support networks (in this case the family) for the restructuring and functioning of socioemotional development of the mother as well as her child.