The report, Good Enough to Eat?, published last week, found that two-thirds of pregnant teenagers living away from their family have a food budget of less than 20.25 per week - the estimated cost of a 'modest but adequate' diet - and that as money runs out they tend to eat less and fill up on cheap, unhealthy foods.
Maternity Alliance director Christine Gowridge said, 'Pregnant teenagers receive significantly less benefits than mothers over the age of 25, yet their dietary needs, and the needs of their growing babies, are the same, if not more. How can we expect teenage mothers to be able to eat healthily on less than 3 per day for food?'
Food Commission director Tim Lobstein added, 'Women on a poor diet during pregnancy are more likely to have low birthweight babies. That increases their baby's risk of poor health during childhood and during their adult life.
'Without sufficient cash, no amount of nutrition information, and no amount of cooking skills, will help these women protect the health of their babies.'
The 46 women under 18 who took part in the survey said they ate many fatty, salty and sugary foods, such as biscuits, chips, fizzy drinks and squash, but little fruit and vegetables. Nutritional analysis of the diets showed deficiencies in several essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, iron and calcium.
The report said, 'Women of all ages should have the right to eat healthily during pregnancy, for the good of their health and for the good of their unborn babies.'
The UK has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Europe. In 2000, 23,000 babies were born to women under 18.
The report is on the websites www.foodcomm.org.ukand www.maternityalliance.org.uk.
