'She should be playing with dolls, it's shocking': Colombian girl, 10, gives birth to baby daughter



A 10-year-old Colombian girl has sparked outrage after becoming one of the world's youngest ever mothers by giving birth to a healthy daughter.

The girl, a member of an indigenous tribe called the Wayuu who are based in the La Guajira Peninsula in the north of the country, was 39 weeks pregnant when she underwent a Caesarean section. Most pregnancies are 38 weeks.



It was the first time the pre-teen, from the town of Manaure, had visited a doctor in connection with her pregnancy.

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Newborn: A 10-year-old Colombian girl almost died as she became one of the world's youngest ever mothers after giving birth to a healthy daughter (pictured)

Mother: The girl, a member of the northern indigenous Wayuu tribe in the La Guajira Peninsula, was 39 weeks pregnant when she underwent a Caesarean section

She reportedly arrived at the hospital bleeding, in floods of tears and 'enormous' pain from the contractions.

Doctors decided to carry out the risky operation because of her age - and both mother and daughter, who weighed just 5lbs, are said to be 'doing well'.

This is despite the mother refusing to breastfeed her newborn and the pair being confined to the neo-natal unit of the hospital, which has not been disclosed.

Although Colombian police could prosecute the father for underage sex, the country's constitution guarantees the Wayuu a certain amount of autonomy.

It allows the tribe to maintain its own sovereignty and certain cultural heritages, of which one is said to be the giving birth of children at an extremely young age.

In any case the community has remained tight-lipped as to the identity of the father, with some Colombian newspaper speculating it is a 15-year-old boy. Others believe it is a 30-year-old man.

Medical: It was the first time the girl, from the town of Manaure, had visited a doctor in connection with her pregnancy

Anonymous: The girl, who has not yet been named, has not revealed to the media who the father is

The case has led to criticism from the director of the hospital where she gave birth.

Efraín Pacheco Casadiego told RCN La Radio: 'We've already seen similar cases of wayuu girls.

'At a time when (the girls) should be playing with dolls, they go to having to take care of a baby. It's shocking.'

But Alejandro Samplayo, director of parenthood organisation Instituto Colombiano Bienestar Familiar, referred to the tribe's culture.

He added: 'Since it's a Wayuu girl we are trying to respect all of their rights since they have autonomy and their own jurisdiction.'

Home: The town of Manaure is in the northern La Guajira Peninsula of Colombia

Mixed: The birth has prompted differing reactions, with some saying it is according to the tribal culture and others claiming it is shocking

YOUNG MOTHERS AROUND THE WORLD

Youngest Mother Ever



The world's youngest mother is Lina Medina, a Peruvian girl who gave birth just two weeks after her fifth birthday. The birth was major news when it happened in 1933 as it was unheard of that a girl would be able to give birth at such a young age.

Ms Medina, who is now 78 years old, never named the father and it is unclear whether or not she knows herself. The doctor who took care of her case said that she 'couldn't give precise responses' when asked about how she got pregnant.

Her father was arrested on rape and incest charges but they were dropped due to insufficient evidence.

She gave birth to a healthy baby boy but had to have a caesarean section because her pelvis was too small. Her son, who she named Gerardo, was healthy for most of his life but then died at the age of 40 in 1979 from bone marrow disease.



Britain's First Youngest Mum

Jenny Teague shocked the nation in 1997 when she gave birth at age 12 Jenny Teague shocked the British public when, in 1997, she became the youngest mother in the country at the age of 12. She did not realize that she was pregnant until her mother noticed a bump.

Though she 'experimented' with a 13-year-old boy, she did not think that she would be able to get pregnant the first time that she had sex.

Her daughter, Sasha, is now 15 years old, and Ms Teague, now 27, has since given birth to two more girls. She recalls: 'I was terrified. When the nurse handed me Sasha, I thought, "What have

I done?’ – but when I looked at her little face, I felt happy and I wanted her.

'I was scared, but determined to do my best.' Although she claims benefits, she is studying English and Maths and hopes to work after her youngest daughter is older.

She said: 'I never had a life as a teenage mum and I’d never want Sasha to be a young mum.





America's Teen Moms With the help of pregnancy pacts and the MTV show Teen Mom, it is becoming less and less shocking to see young mothers across America. And while many of these girls seek publicity or allow their names to be printed, the majority of them are 15 years old and up.

Many of the cases where 10 and 11 year old girls give birth involve rape and incest, and their names are not released as a result because they are considered victims of sexual assault.

Across the country, the 2012 teenage pregnancy rate was the lowest in 40 years, coming in at 67.8 pregnancies per 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19-years-old.



