Grandad aged 29; Britain's Teen Pregnancy Problem

A 29-year-old man who has become one of Britain's youngest grandparents was left red-faced after nurses asked him to prove he was over 16 as he tried to visit his daughter's baby. Unemployed Shem Davies was overjoyed when 14-year-old Tia gave birth to Gracie earlier this month. But when he tried to visit the ward, maternity nurses thought the fresh-faced granddad was in fact the teenage father of Gracie and asked him to prove his age.

Article

''The latest figures show in 2009 38,259 girls under 18 became pregnant, but nearly 50 per cent had a termination.

The UK still leads the way when it comes to young mothers, and our rate is five-times higher than in the Netherlands and twice that of France and Spain.''

Interesting^, what worries me is this:

Jordan, who sat his final GCSE just weeks before Gracie arrived, said he understands responsibility. 'I'm captain of the school rugby team and that's like having 14 kids.'

reply to post by influx.destruction


Wow, this is becoming disturbing. So basically the dad was around 15 when he had her, and now she's 14 and giving birth.

And his rugby team comment.... epic facepalm!

Originally posted by influx.destruction

A 29-year-old man who has become one of Britain's youngest grandparents was left red-faced after nurses asked him to prove he was over 16 as he tried to visit his daughter's baby. Unemployed Shem Davies was overjoyed when 14-year-old Tia gave birth to Gracie earlier this month. But when he tried to visit the ward, maternity nurses thought the fresh-faced granddad was in fact the teenage father of Gracie and asked him to prove his age.

Article

''The latest figures show in 2009 38,259 girls under 18 became pregnant, but nearly 50 per cent had a termination.

The UK still leads the way when it comes to young mothers, and our rate is five-times higher than in the Netherlands and twice that of France and Spain.''

Interesting^, what worries me is this:

Jordan, who sat his final GCSE just weeks before Gracie arrived, said he understands responsibility. 'I'm captain of the school rugby team and that's like having 14 kids.'

I think your giving this boy bad press... he can control a rugby team

hi op
i understand what you are saying sounds shamefull doesnt it here in the uk?
what about the umpteen babies beaing born to underage women in the asian community
nobody mentions that do they
because we cant highlight their underage baby boom
no sooner is printed then forgotten again brushed under the carpet
regards
dave

I think they should stop all the bloody benefits they get for the kids, pay them in baby food, clothes and diapers.

Problem solved.

ETA: HA! I just said diapers and not nappies...darn this Americanism rubbing off on me

reply to post by davesmart


What have Asians got to do with this? The OP included Nationality not Ethnicity :/

Double post...Only pressed it once

38,000 teenage mothers out of population of 63 million people isn't too bad IMO.. This happens all around the world, no matter what country they are from. I'd like to see the figures for some other countries.
Also the reason we have a higher teenage rate here is because because of the cultural differnces to those countries mentioned.. And anyone from the uk will know, British girls are easy..

reply to post by Sinny


underage pregnant young girls
IN THE IMMIGRANT SECTOR

reply to post by Misterlondon


oy! were not all easy!!

actually, when i think about it...... maybe your right.

Is it related at all to the earlier thread on the reportedly alcohol epidemic in the UK?

What the beep? What is wrong with the UK? Is this really the same country that less than 100 years ago ruled half the world's surface and a quarter of it's population?

The the worst though is that British girl that was an alcoholic, a drug addict, and a cigarette smoker all by the age of 12 when she became PREGNANT. Yes at the age of TWELVE after already being a drunk, a druggie, and a smoker.
www.dailymail.co.uk...

reply to post by Sinny


Asians have nothing to do per se. However the point he was making is that this being a problem is solely a point of view sort of thing driven by culture. What we might think is a problem in our cultures might be part of the norm in another. Doesn't make it right or wrong. And while a lot of teens in our culture are pretty wreckless biologically speaking it's not out of the ordinary. Before we were "civilized" breeding at that age was part of the norm and was necessary for survival. Not so much anymore so we look down on it even though it's simple human nature. And when the SHTF and our species is once again struggling for survival it will be the norm again.

reply to post by davesmart


Immigrants annoy me, but were talking young girls here, Im sure they didnt immigrate them selves it was their parents....so its a bit irrelevant.

Originally posted by ItsEvolutionBaby
Is it related at all to the earlier thread on the reportedly alcohol epidemic in the UK?

i think so
seems like a bash at us brits day
maybe im wrong
or paranoid
or both lol

I work with at-risk kids in a fairly low-income rural area. It never ceases to amaze me the numbers of 40-year-old grandparents who show up on Grandparent's Day. The kids talk - "My mom is 25." "My grandma is 39." Love the 26-year-old parents with four kids, too. And then they tease the kids who say, "My mom is 42" as though this is just awful. Never fails, either, the ones with young parents are the ones on free meals and public assistance.

A part of me thinks this is terrrible.
But thinking on it. Those of us who live in industrialized nations have a higher age of first marriage than in other countries.

www.wisegeek.com...

In other nations ages vary wildly
en.wikipedia.org...

I'm sure in a different age in third world countries teens having kids might be looked on differently.

I don't know. I still find it a bit wierd.

reply to post by Sinny


not really
theyre called anchor babies
illegals come here get there daughters aranged pregnancy
therefore mother and newborn cant be deported
grandma has rights to stay because her daughter is underage
i guarantee you this happening all over the midlands

I think the main cause of it is, the gov over here are too busy involving them selves in foreign affairs to take care of our own infastructure and society, they care none for the lower class peoples and leave them uneducated and free to breed like rabbits. They need to bring our chavvy estates back to the 21st century, and improve the education system and public services.......which we are currently doing the opposite :/

Also, I've met many girls who have simply popped out sprogs for the benefit handouts, which bring in a few hundred a week, more than I can earn even though im busting my butt.

But then again there are no jobs here anyway, 2 mill unemployed (officially) and they are still leaving our borders open to more immigrants.....Im not to good with math...but wont that just increase unemployment?

Im getting laid off work this week, I might as well go get up the duff, it will make my life easier.

reply to post by davesmart


Ha, I've first hand exsperience its happening all over the midlands, Im lucky enough to live in the only white majority area of Birmingham.....some places are just like walking into Pakistan