JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Mississippi leads the nation in teen pregnancies.
WLBT News talked with Dr. Mary Currier, State Health Officer, Tuesday afternoon about the impact of teen pregnancies on young mothers and their children.
Currier is working with a task force set up by Governor Phil Bryant to address teen pregnancy.
The latest statistics from 2010 show, one 12 year old gave birth in the state, twenty-six 13 year olds, 88 fourteen year olds, 343 fifteen year olds, 588 sixteen year olds, and the numbers go up for 17, 18 and 19 year olds.
More than 62 hundred teenagers gave birth in 2010.
"About 20 to 21 percent of teen births are repeat teen births," Dr. Currier said. "So if we could take those girls who have already had a child as a teenager and work with them so that they can have a life plan and don't just quickly then have a second baby as a teenager."
The youngest child to give birth in Mississippi to date was an 8 year old in 1916.
Dr. Currier says a handful of 9 year olds have given birth in the state, and some 10 year olds.
Humphreys County has the highest rate at 74 percent.
Also the oldest man to father a child with a teenager was 73 years old, the mother was 17 years old.
From 2006 - 2010 more than 41,000 teenagers gave birth in the state.
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