Helping teenagers become good mums

Being a teenage mum is not easy. But innovative projects around the world are trying to help.

We hear from Sierra Leone, where the 2 Young Lives project supports teenagers who've been rejected by their families for getting pregnant. They link them up with older women who step in to look after them.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls globally. But the mentors are making sure the young mums get the medical support they need.

After giving birth, the early years of motherhood can be problematic for teenagers too.

We also hear from Brazil, where a team of researchers and nurses is teaching young mothers the skills they need to form strong attachments to their children.

By getting their mothers to do things like read to their toddlers, the researchers say they can improve the children's future development and give them better life prospects.

Presenter: Myra Anubi

Reporters: Amelia Martyn-Hempill and Marcia Reverdosa

Producer: Daniel Gordon

Executive producer: Tom Colls

Editor: Penny Murphy

Image: Tamires Salviano and her child