UNICEF Report: Teen Births are Deadly to Both Mother and Child
The UNICEF annual report on The State of the World’s Children 2009 is not exactly a harbinger of good news especially concerning teen pregnancies and births. Some figures from the report are as follows:
- 70,000 women aged 15 to 19 die as a consequence of pregnancy and delivery complications.
- The younger a girl during pregnancy, the greater are the health risks for her and her baby.
- An infant born to a mother under 18 has a 60% greater risk of dying before its first birthday.
Although the most publicized teen pregnancies are those happening in developed countries (think about Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin), the majority of teen mothers are actually living in developing countries – unnoticed and unsung. The practice of child marriages is still quite commonplace in many parts of Asia and Africa. The girls forced into these marriages lose their chance for an education or simply to enjoy their childhood.
This is sad because pregnancy and childbirth is hard enough in low-income countries (especially Africa) without being confounded by young age.
In Africa, a woman has 1 in 26 chance of dying of pregnancy or childbirth complications – the highest in the world. This is 300 times higher than in developed countries.
I had my twins at age 38. In developing countries, many women will already be grandmothers at that age. These UNICEF figures make me pause and ponder upon the disparities of this world. “There, but for fortune, go you or I.”
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