ABSTRACT
This chapter examines differences between children born to women in their early teens and children whose mothers were ages 20 to 21 at their birth. The primary focus of the 1981 wave of interviews was to examine the consequences of marital disruption for children's development and well-being. Data were obtained from the child, a parent, and a teacher. The 1987 wave of interviews obtained data on outcomes in early adulthood. Children born to the youngest teen mothers are also at a statistically significant disadvantage in terms of cognitive development and academic achievement compared with peers whose mothers were 20 to 21 at their birth. Children of the youngest teen mothers are less likely to have received well-baby care in the first year of life, have less cognitively stimulating and less nurturing home environments, and obtain lower cognitive achievement scores than peers whose mothers were 20 to 21 at their births.
