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Lina Medina with her son Photo credit: ati |
It was Sunday evening and we were hanging out at a public house. After light meals of "Akpukpa" ('moi-moi') with fried ice-fish came the discussion about child bearing age which turned into an argument that no body below 12 years can have a baby. Some of us affirmed and some others were against.
While the argument was heating up I brought out my phone and did a little research and that was when I came across the name Lina Medina, the youngest mother in history. Honestly, what I found out was a bit shocking to me.
Lina Marcela Medina de Jurado, a Peruvian woman became the youngest confirmed mother in history when she gave birth at the age of five years, seven months, and 21 days.
Medina was born September 23, 1933, in Ticrapo, Peru, a small village in the Andes Mountains. She was first taken to the doctor by her parents when her stomach was becoming bigger, thinking she had a tumor. After carrying out an X-ray doctors were shocked to discover that she was six months pregnant and that her abdomen was already the size of a full-term baby.
You would be thinking, How did she mange to give birth? Well, on May 14, 1939, Medina gave birth to a healthy baby boy by caesarean section. The baby weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces and was named Gerardo.
Medina's pregnancy was caused by precocious puberty. Know what's that? That is a rare medical condition that causes children to begin puberty at a very early age. The cause of precocious puberty is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. At least that is what I found out.
Some experts believe that she may have had a rare condition called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency. A condition that causes the body to release gonadotropins, which are hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs and the testes to produce sperm.
Medina's case has remained a medical mystery up to this day. And yeah, there have been other cases of young girls becoming pregnant, but none as young as Medina.
Medina's story is a reminder of the dangers of child sexual abuse. In her case, the father of her child was never identified. Some people have accused her father of raping her, but this has never been proven.
After giving birth, Medina moved to Lima, Peru, with her son Gerardo and they lived a relatively normal life. At Lima, Medina received an education and worked as a seamstress (a weaver). Gerardo grew up to be a healthy and normal boy.
It is written that Gerardo died from a bone marrow disorder in 1979 at the age of 40. Medina remarried and had more children.
Lina Medina's story is a tragic one, but it is also a story of resilience and hope, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and has had a lasting impact on the world. And although she faced incredible challenges at a young age, she was able to overcome them. She overcame the challenges of her early pregnancy and she went on to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Her case has been studied by doctors and researchers for decades. She is a reminder of the dangers of child sexual abuse and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of precocious puberty. And not just that, her story is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. It has also inspired others who have faced challenges in their lives.
In 2018, Medina was honored by the Guinness World Records for her achievement. She is still alive today and is the oldest living person to have given birth.