Teenage/adolescent Pregnancy

A special concern has been expressed in studies that teenage or adolescent pregnancy may put girls at risk of osteoporosis. This is primarily because a young woman’s body is still in its own high growth stage (with regard to calcium absorption) and the added demands of pregnancy mean that a mum and her foetus have to compete for calcium.

A study with the American Centre for Human Nutrition and published by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health states that “adolescent pregnancy may compromise a girl’s ability to reach optimal bone growth and that she may need to consume more calcium than is currently recommended to offset bone loss”.