An 11-year-old girl has officially become the youngest mother in the UK after having given birth in a hospital earlier this month.
Discover our latest podcast
A shocking revelation
According to reports provided by The Sun, the young girl first became pregnant at 10 years of age and delivered her baby after more than 30 weeks of gestation. Social services and authorities are now investigating the case to get to the bottom of how she got pregnant in the first place.
As it turns out, the family was unaware of the little girl's pregnancy—let alone that she was sexually active. In a statement made to the British press by a close family member, the little girl and her baby seem to be healthy:
It has come as a big shock. She's now being surrounded by expert help. The main thing is that she and the baby are OK. There are questions around why people did not know. That is very worrying.
The youngest mother ever recorded
Doctor Carol Cooper said that the new mother might very well be the youngest known person in the UK to have ever given birth. The previous record holder was a 12-year-old little girl back in 2006. Dr. Cooper explains:
This is the youngest mother I've heard of. The average age at which a girl begins puberty is 11, though it can be anytime between eight and 14, or younger. Weight affects many hormones.
There's a higher risk of a low-birth weight baby, pre-eclampsia, premature labour and many infections.
And added:
Around one in every 2,500 births happens to someone who doesn't know she's pregnant (or has hidden it).
