Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health

Lynne McNiven, Consultant in Public Health, and Marie Cann-Livingstone, Teenage Pregnancy and Early Intervention Specialist, presented the report and highlighted the following points:

(a)  Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue and remains a key driver for poor health and social outcomes for both mother and child, including:

(i)  15% of NEETs are teenage parents;

(ii)  teenage parents are 20% more likely to not to have qualifications by the time they are 30 years old;

(iii)  teenage mothers are 22% more likely to be living in poverty by the age of 30 and much less likely to be employed or living with a partner;

(iv)  children of teenage mothers have a 63% increased risk of being born into poverty and are more likely to have accidents and behavioural problems;

(v)  teenage mothers have 3 times the rate of postnatal depression and a higher risk of poor mental health up to 3 years after the birth;

(vi)  the infant mortality rate of babies born to teenagers is 60% higher than those born to older parents;

(vii)  teenage mothers are 3 times more likely to smoke through their pregnancy and 50% less likely to breastfeed, both of which have negative health consequences;

(b)  in 1998 there were 74.7 pregnancies per 1,000, by 2012, the figure had dropped to 37.6 per thousand;

(c)  the Teenage Pregnancy Plan has 8 key work streams:

(i)  improve health outcomes;

(ii)  improve teenage pregnancy prevention and support services;

(iii)  improve communication, marketing and social networking;

(iv)  improve contraception services and sexual health advance;

(v)  improve contraceptive and sex and relationships education services in schools, colleges and learning centres;

(vi)  increase the percentage of pregnant teenagers and teenage parents in education, employment or training;

(vii)  improve the evidence base through data collection and intelligence;

(viii)  improve the confidence and skills of the teenage pregnancy workforce to support young people with making decisions;

(d)  all agencies and partners need to work together and to ensure that the subject remains high on the agenda.

(e)  Comments from the Board included:

(i)   it was pointed out that the teenage pregnancy rates from 1998 remained high  until 2008, since then there has been rapid reduction of teenage pregnancy in the City;

(ii)   one single pregnancy can impact on the figures so vigilance must be maintained;

(iii)   sex and relationship education in schools, including involving school nurses, is vital;

(iv)   in response to a question, Andy Sloan, Headteacher of Rose Hill School, responded that for young people with learning disabilities such as pupils attending Rose Hill School, a specific and detailed Sexual and Relationship Education Policy has been developed. Most young people are rarely on their own and are always supported. The Sexual and Relationship Education programme also tackles inappropriate behaviour. Teenage pregnancy is not a major issue within this vulnerable group of young people;

(f)  young people who are in work are less likely to become pregnant;

(g)  the long-term outcomes of the teenage pregnancy plan may not be apparent until 10 or 20 years’ time.

RESOLVED

(1)  to note that teenage pregnancy annual update;

(2)  to agree the contents of the Teenage Pregnancy Plan Executive Summary 2014-15.