Every year, about 16 million adolescent girls give birth in low- and middle-income countries. This module will reflect on why pregnancy is a significant health concern for adolescent girls and their babies, as well as the social and economic consequences of pregnancy and the links to nutrition.

Key learning points:
• Global trends in adolescent pregnancy
• Links between adolescent pregnancy, early marriage and adolescent girls leaving school
• How pregnancy may have consequences for nutrition and growth of both the growing adolescent mother and her baby
• Nutritional needs of girls and women during pregnancy and WHO's guidelines
• How the nutritional status of the adolescent mother affects herself and her child
• Six areas in which WHO recommends action to prevent adolescent pregnancy and the risk of poor reproductive outcomes
• Benefits of delaying marriage until after the age of 18 and first pregnancy until the age of 20


Estimated completion time: 15 minutes