The youngest mom in the world: at 5 years old

April 1, 2024

It draws attention when a minor gets pregnant ; Not so long ago it was relatively normal, but it is currently considered a rarity, at least in Western countries.

The truth is that many young mothers, despite how complicated the issue may seem, move forward, thanks also to the goodwill of their parents, who often support them at this difficult time.

But if we already find it strange that someone can be a mother at 14 or 15, the most surprising is the case we will discuss in this article: the youngest mother in the world is only five years old, according to the The New York Times. Below we will see what his story was and what measures need to be taken to protect the minors in this regard.

Lina Medina: a mom of only 5 years

Although the pregnancies of minors are normal in some parts of the world, especially in less industrialized countries, the youngest mom in the world did not even have the age to attend primary school . The story goes that Lina Medina, a Peruvian girl of only five years, had a son in 1939. When the girl complained of severe stomach pains, no one imagined what the reason was.

The youngest was taken by her mother to the hospital because her belly began to grow large and visible. At first, the doctors thought he was suffering from a tumor, because, after all, he was only five years old. After the tests that were performed on Lina, the doctors diagnosed that she was seven months pregnant. Weeks later, on May 14, 1939, she gave birth to a man who weighed 6 pounds, and who later would call Gerardo in honor of the doctor who treated him.

Lina is considered not only the youngest mother in the world, but after 80 years since the birth of her son, she is still the youngest mother in history.

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Is it possible for a 5-year-old girl to become pregnant?

How is it possible for such a small girl to have a child? You also have to wonder if Lina was physically mature to get pregnant.

And it is that the age of the first menstruation is the result of the combination of multiple factors (genetic, nutritional, physical activity, etc.). However, the best health and food have advanced a lot in recent decades, and that is why the age of this first menstruation has advanced with respect to the previous generation. Nowadays, the average age at which it appears for the first time is 12.5 years , can appear at 8 or 9 years in extreme cases. However, there is evidence that centuries ago the age at which it appeared was around 16.

So, how could Lina have a child? The doctor discovered that even though the little girl was 5 years old, her sexual organs were mature enough to be a mother. This is what in medicine it is known as precocious puberty .

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Who is the father?

Surely there are more doubts hanging around the reader's mind when reading this article. Well, at that time it was speculated that the father could have been responsible for his own daughter becoming pregnant, and a few days later he was arrested.

But as there was no proof of his guilt, he was released by the police shortly after. To this day, the true identity of the father has never been revealed. The story told by several newspapers, such as the British newspaper The Sun, is that Gerardo He grew up thinking that his mother was his sister. The idea that he was so young with his mother could have made stigmatization that could be built at any time socially persecuted them both, so it was hidden. It was not until the age of 10 when he was told that Lina was his mother. Gerardo grew healthy but died at age 40 after suffering bone disease. His mother is still alive today.

What should be done in these cases?

The existence of pregnant minors It is a symptom of the lack of protection suffered by many young people , in some cases being in a situation of risk within their own family. These cases demonstrate the need for well-prepared social services and resources, as well as legislation that allows selective action in these cases to improve the quality of life of these girls and adolescents.

It is also necessary a cultural change that leads to not stigmatize these girls and blame them for all that has happened to them, as well as a social conscience that leads not to assume as normal cases of rapes or sexual abuses concealed in a false mutual agreement.

On the other hand, psychotherapeutic care is also usually required to treat problems related to education, the protection of self-esteem and the management of family conflicts that pregnancies in children tend to trigger.

Related article: "Prevent and detect early childhood sexual abuse"

Pregnancies of minors in Spain

In Spain, pregnancies of minors also occur. In 2008, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) carried out a study to determine how many underage mothers were born that year. Their results concluded that there were 178 girls under 15 who were mothers.

Their data also revealed that since the 1990s, the maternity of girls under 15 years of age did not drop 80 cases a year . In addition, we must bear in mind that many children who become pregnant abort, so according to estimates the actual figure amounts to at least 500 pregnancies a year.

The case of the youngest birth that has occurred in Spain is 10 years. The mother gave birth to her baby in Jerez, according to the newspaper El País.