13-year-old registered as 'youngest mother' in Bontoc
MANILA, Philippines — A girl aged 13-years-old from Bontoc, Mountain Province had just been registered as a mother in 2022, making her the youngest mom in the area.
The Municipality of Bontoc, Friday, made the statement just a few days after the Commission on Population and Development expressed their alarm about Filipino girls aged 10-14 getting pregnant.
"According to Municipal Civil Registrar Valentina Domaoa, the number of teenage mothers in 2022 has increased by 39.28% compared to the previous year," the Bontoc local government unit said.
"Further, the [Philippine Statistics Authority] reported that about one in every ten teenage mothers in the entire Mountain Province was registered in this capital town."
Out of the 39 registered teenage mothers in 2022, 17 are said to have come from Bontoc while the remaining 22 are from neighboring towns who gave birthday and registered in the municipality.
Mothers aged 10-19 face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections compared to women aged 20-24, according to the World Health Organization.
Babies of the said mothers also face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.
"With the alarming data presented, Bontoc Mayor Jerome 'Chagsen' Tudlong Jr., solicited the support of the public to help lessen the number of teenage pregnancies as it could cause adverse effects on the health of both the mother and her baby," said the LGU.
All of this is happening while teenage pregnancies in Filipino women have supposedly gone down to 5.4% in 2022 compared to the 8.6% in 2017.
The Department of Education earlier expressed its support for proposals in the Senate making comprehensive sexuality education compulsary in all levels of basic education in an effort to lessen the number of teenage pregnancies in the country.
- Latest
- Trending
