AbstractThe authors studied 50 girls, 15 years old and younger, to determine whether early problems in the relationship with their mothers are a significant component of their becoming pregnant. A pattern of deprivation and inconstancy was found, both in their early care by their teenage mothers and in the care that they were giving to their own infants. This pattern is consistent with Blos's theory that preoedipal fixation can contribute to early pregnancy. The girls' inconsistent care of their children, which perhaps is causing preoedipal fixations, may be laying the groundwork for the continuation of the adolescent pregnancy cycle.