About one in 15 of all births are to young women under 20 – around 45,000 births in 2006. Young women and their babies have poorer access to maternity services and experience poorer outcomes than older women.

Meeting the needs of young women and their partners more effectively will improve the life chances of the young parents and their children, while also making significant contributions to the national and local targets on early access to maternity care; on reducing infant mortality, smoking and teenage conceptions; and on increasing breastfeeding.

This guide is aimed at practitioners working in mainstream services or areas where the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is relatively low and where there are no dedicated services for pregnant teenagers. It sets out the reasons why it is important to improve the maternity service offered to young parents, and offers practical guidance on working with pregnant teenagers and young fathers.

Please note: this document has been replaced by an updated 2009 version (ref: DCSF-00673-2009)