Teen Pregnancy: What a Parent Can Do

Although one-third of all mothers become pregnant while still in their teens, parents are usually shocked by the news that their “baby” is having a baby. In this entry from the “Keeping Kids Healthy” series, a chatty roundtable discussion hosted by Dr. Winnie King features a white and a black mother and daughter, who talk about their experiences: broken dreams, alienation, and a relationship being suddenly turned upside down (the child is now a parent herself). Other participants include a child psychologist, who notes that parents struggle with losing control, since in most states the pregnant teen's decisions are supported by law; and a social worker from Planned Parenthood, who talks about a mother who abandoned her daughter after the latter was brought in for counseling but chose not to have an abortion (the counselor arranged for the girl to stay at a home for pregnant women). An excellent and informative production, marred somewhat by muddy sound, this is still recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)