ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the timing of parenthood and the phenomenon of adolescent parenthood for adolescent parents and their children. It examines circumstances associated with adolescent parenthood. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2014 report, around 16 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth each year. Global estimates from the United Nations Population Fund suggest that the overall global estimate for adolescent birth rates is 50 among 1,000 girls, but the estimate among developing countries is 85. Even more, the WHO approximates that low-to-middle income countries with greater poor, rural, and less educated populations comprise 95% of all global adolescent births. Among developed countries, estimates using complete country-wide data from the United Nations Statistics Division’s Demographic Yearbook show that the highest adolescent birth rates are in the United States, with England, Wales, and New Zealand following close behind.
