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Pediatricians play key role in lives of teen parents
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Rates of adolescent pregnancy continue to fall, and pediatricians play an important role in continuing this trend by providing counseling in the office about sexual health and advocating at the local and state levels for prevention strategies, according to an updated report from the AAP published this month.
Jorge L. Pinzon, MD, Veronnie F. Jones, MD, and the Committee on Adolescence recently published an updated clinical report on the care of adolescent parents and children. In the report, the AAP promoted the role of pediatricians in addressing the needs of both the adolescent parent(s) and their child, with a focus on counseling on healthy behaviors — including encouragement to breast-feed, avoid smoking, and assessment for sexual abuse or domestic violence risk.
Jorge L. Pinzon
“Pediatricians and other health care providers have the trust and respect of their patients and, therefore, are an important vehicle to help improve the lives of these young parents and their children,” Pinzon told Infectious Diseases in Children.
The report advocated that pediatricians counsel the adolescent parent about staying involved with their child, even if a grandparent or other guardian is providing primary care.
The report also addressed the pediatrician’s role in psychosocial issues related to teen pregnancy and suggested that pediatricians counsel patients about completion of school, involvement in “culturally sensitive, effective preterm and infant classes,” and discuss with patients about use of office-based and school-based interventions that incorporate intensive instruction on infant care and development.
Finally, the report emphasizes the role that pediatricians play in providing a medical home for the new teen parent and her child.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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