Period of time from conception to birth.

Pregnancy normally lasts 40 weeks and spans the time from the fertilization of a mother's egg to the birth

Teenage Pregnancy

In the United States pregnancy and birth rates among teenage girls are higher than in any other developing country. The birth rate for young teens (ages 15-17) has been steadily rising. From 1986 to 1991, the rate increased by nearly 30%. In 1991 alone, nearly 4 in 100 girls ages 15-17 had a baby, according to the March of Dimes. Both the short- and long-term impact of teenage pregnancy on mother, child, and society indicate the enormity of this problem. Poverty and teenage pregnancy appear to be directly related. Teenage mothers tend to come from families of lower economic status and become more likely to drop out of school during or after their pregnancy (one in three teen mothers drops out of high school). Infants born to...