Like the rest of the country, Montgomery County grapples with the problems associated with teen pregnancies. The costs — social, emotional and financial — are enormous and far-reaching.  The U.S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world at an estimated cost of at least $10.1 billion in 2008, according to an updated analysis by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.  On average, the children of teen mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect. Most of the costs of teen childbearing are associated with negative consequences for the children of teen mothers, including increased costs for health care, foster care, incarceration, and lost tax revenue.  For more information on local and national adolescent pregnancy trends, please click on the links below: