A call to concentrate on the impact of teenage fatherhood in Ghana

The physical, social, and mental health impacts of both teenage pregnancy and repeated teenage pregnancy on teenage mothers and babies have been investigated in-depth (Hollman, Alderman & Adam, 20008; Bamishigbin, Dunkel & Stanton, 2019; U.S. Department of Justice Office, 2000) globally, where Ghana is no exception from the perspective of the teenage mothers.

However, after a thorough search of the literature, the author did not find any information on the impact of teenage pregnancy on the teenage father and its effects on their babies in Ghana, thus, there is a paucity of information on the impact of teenage pregnancy on the teenage paternity and its effects on their babies and or birth outcome.

Consensually, researchers have agreed that little attention has been focused on this public health menace from the perspective of the teenage father (Hollman, 2008; Bamishigbin, Dunkel & Stanton, 2019).

The results of studies conducted in both developed and developing countries have revealed that teenage pregnancy has an adverse effect on the teenage father and also their offspring (Bamishigbin, Dunkel & Stanton, 2019; Jeong, 2021; U.S. Department of Justice Office, 2000) The teenage father may be forced to abandon his education (Gigante et al, 2019; Jeong, 2021) to financially provide for his child/children (Jeong, 2021).

The teenage father may be also involved in health risky behaviours such as smoking which may be associated with stress secondary to fatherhood ( Jeong, 2021) while some may even lose leisure time ( Jeong, 2021) to socialize with their peers.

Moreover, although the association between teenage father’s characteristics and birth outcomes is not fully understood, lower sperm count, semen volume, total number of spermatozoa and percentage of motile forms of sperm in male younger than 26 years contributes to poor birth outcomes (Chen, Wen, Krewski, Fleming, Yang, & Walker, 2008) which have the detrimental effect of the health on their babies.

Thus, to the baby, teenage fatherhood increases the risk of low birth weight, neonatal mortality, and preterm birth (Bamishigbin, Dunkel & Stanton, 2019; Chen, Wen, Krewski, Fleming, Yang, & Walker, 2008.

Therefore, in our effort as a country to understand the factors, and implement strategies to curb the harmful impact of teenage pregnancy, efforts should not only be focused on the teenage mother but on the teenage father as well. The repercussion of teenage paternity is not on only the teenager and his family but society at large.

References

Bamishigbin O.N Jr., Dunkel, S. C, Stanton, A. L. (2019). The antecedents and consequences of adolescent fatherhood: A systematic review. Soc Sci Med. 232:106-119.doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.04.031. Epub 2019 Apr 22. PMID: 31075751.

Chen, X. K., Wen, S. W., Krewski, D., Fleming, N., Yang, Q., & Walker, M. C. (2008). Paternal age and adverse birth outcomes: teenager or 40+, who is at risk?. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 23(6), 1290–1296.

https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dem403

Hollman D, Alderman E, Adam HM. Fatherhood in adolescence. Pediatrics in review. 2008; 29(10):364. pmid:18829774

Gigante D. P., de França, G. V. A, & De Lucia, R. E., et al. (2019). Adolescent parenthood associated with adverse socio-economic outcomes at age 30 years in women and men of the Pelotas, Brazil: 1982 birth cohort study. BJOG; 126:360e7

Jeong, J. (2021). Determinants and consequences of adolescent fatherhood: a longitudinal study in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(5), 906-913.

U.S. Department of Justice Office. (2000). Teenage Fatherhood and Delinquent Behavior. Teenage Fatherhood and Delinquent Behavior (ojp.gov)