A Brief History
On May 14, 1939, in Peru, 5 ½ year old Lina Medina became the youngest documented human mother in history. Giving birth to a 6 pound healthy boy, due to Lina’s small pelvis the birth was performed by Caesarian section.
Digging Deeper
Far from a hoax or myth, this case was well documented after her parents brought her to a doctor because of her odd weight gain. From that point on when it was discovered this Kindergarten aged girl was pregnant, she was the center of medical and media attention.
The baby boy was named Gerardo in honor of one the three attending physicians. Lina and the boy were filmed, but the movie film was lost, leaving only still photography.
A medical journal report stated that Lina had started puberty at only 8 months old, contradicting other press reports that stated she had been menstruating since 2 or 3 years old. The journal also stated the girl had started breast development by age 4 and her pelvis had widened by age 5.
The giant question you may ask is the same as back in 1939, “Who is the father?” Well, Lina has never publicly addressed that, nor has she said anything about how she was impregnated. The doctor that interviewed her about both topics said she was not able to clearly answer the questions. Not surprisingly, Lina’s father was arrested on suspicion of child abuse, but was released due to lack of evidence. (No such thing as DNA testing back then.)
Cases of early puberty are rare, although studies indicate puberty has been coming at an earlier age over the past several decades. Perhaps hormones and steroids given to cows, pigs, and chickens are at the root of the phenomena, or perhaps the birth control hormones that have entered our water supply are contributing to the trend. In either case, neither explanation seems likely in this incredibly cracked case.
Some people in the US are offended by teen mothers bringing their babies to high school; can you imagine their chagrin over a Kindergartener bringing her baby to school!
Question for students (and subscribers): How young was your mother when she gave birth to you? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Rots, Martin H. The Mother’s Day Companion. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010.
