Trajectories of developmental functioning among children of adolescent mothers: Factors associated with risk for delay

Children of adolescent mothers are at risk for developmental delays. Less is known about the heterogeneity in these children's developmental trajectories, and factors associated with different patterns of development. This longitudinal study used latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to identify distinct trajectories in children of Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N = 204). Three distinct groups emerged: (a) a Delayed/Decreasing Functioning group, (b) an At-Risk/Recovering Functioning group, and (c) a Normative/Stable Functioning group. Children with Delayed/Decreasing Functioning were more likely than those with Normative/Stable Functioning to have families with lower income, fewer learning materials at home, and adolescent mothers with more depressive symptoms and greater coparental conflict with adolescents' mother figures. The results contribute to knowledge about factors associated with risk of delay.