A study out of Western Australia found that over a third of teenage mothers had experienced the incarceration of their own mothers, an experience that can be associated with significant adversity for children and young people. The study, “Teenage Motherhood Amongst Those Whose Mothers were Incarcerated,” published in the January 2026 Pediatrics (published online Dec. 9), used genealogically linked administrative data on justice, health, and child protection system contacts to examine three generations spanning from 1985 through 2022. A sample of 24,872 females aged 12 to 19 years was selected for investigation of the association between maternal incarceration and teenage motherhood in the next generation. Of the second generation, almost 14% became teenage mothers, 88% of whom were Aboriginal. A higher proportion of second-generation teenage mothers had experienced the incarceration of their own mothers when compared to teens who hadn’t given birth. This finding was held across both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups. Teenage mothers were also more likely to experience other adversities compared to other teens, including exposure to maternal illness and substance use, exposure to family domestic violence, and experiences of child maltreatment. Overall, data revealed that maternal incarceration was associated with a 63% higher risk of teenage motherhood for non-Aboriginal females and a 17% higher risk for Aboriginal females. Lead author Megan Bell said that the study shows that multi-disciplinary support is needed to ensure safety and stability for teenage mothers and their infants is needed to provide long-term benefits.
“We need increased investment in services that offer timely and appropriate supports for adolescents with incarcerated mothers, and that are sensitive to the particular challenges experienced by young people with a parent in prison” Dr Bell said. “Involving young people in decision making and acknowledging issues of stigma associated with both parental incarceration and teenage motherhood is essential.”
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.