The Effect of Maternal Age on the Well-Being of Children

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of maternal age on the well-being of children, while limiting the variation in socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Data were gathered from hospital records and from home interviews with a sample of low-income, black and Hispanic women and their firstborn children 2½ to 4 years after delivery. Information on neonatal outcomes, child health and development, mother-child interaction, and nutritious foods in the home was obtained. There was little variation in these outcomes by age of mother and few significant differences. These findings do not support the hypothesis that adolescent maternity per se leads to negative effects on the well-being of children or to low levels of mother-child interaction.