FRIDAY, July 16, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Young mothers who live in their parents' home are more likely to stay in school, says a new study by the Society for Research in Child Development.
Researchers tracked more than 550 mothers, aged 13 to 25, from the time they gave birth until their children were 3 years old. The mothers' school enrollment was checked six times during those three years.
The mothers' parenting skills were also evaluated two times during that period.
The researchers found that living at home helped teenage mothers stay in school for the first two years after their babies were born, possibly because the moms got encouragement and support from the baby's grandparents.
In contrast to previous research, the study found that living at home had little impact on a young mother's parenting skills, however.
Federal law requires that unmarried minor-aged mothers live with either their parents or an adult-supervised home before they can receive public assistance.
More information
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has more about teen mothers.
