Why childbirth is so dangerous for many young teens

The United States has one of the highest teen birth rates among developed nations, even after three decades of improvement. And Arkansas has the highest teen birth rate in the U.S., roughly tied with Mississippi. (Nathan Bilow/Getty Images)

Maryanna's eyes widened as the waitress delivered dessert, a plate-sized chocolate chip cookie topped with hot fudge and ice cream.

Sitting in a booth at a Cheddar's in Little Rock, Ark., Maryanna, 16, wasn't sure of the last time she'd been to a sit-down restaurant. With two children — a daughter she birthed at 14 and a 4-month-old son — and sharing rent with her mother and sister for a cramped apartment with a dwindling number of working lights, Maryanna rarely got out, let alone to devour a Cheddar's Legendary Monster Cookie.