She's ten and she's a mum. An unidentified Romanian girl has given birth in Spain, it's understood that the dad is 13. Despite cries of horror from many parts of the world, her own mother says she's happy about the birth, which she described as "something common in my country".
The girl apparently arrived in the country already pregnant and now authorities in Andalusia are deciding whether to take the child into care. A UN report says 10% of girls in low- and middle-income countries become mothers by the age of 16.
James - These days Kids are becoming sexually active at very tender age. We should not judge someone having a child at that age, it is a biological chance and they are a victim of social circumstances. in my neighborhood i know of kids as young as seven involving themselves in active sex.
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18:21
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Benson - Here in Africa the problem is poverty. A girl who is not going to school thinks of marriage as an option.
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18:21
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A Eshun emails - I believe a female's body goes through crucial developmental stages to set the stage for childbirth through her teens. A teenager, in my opinion, is physically too young to have a child
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18:20
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Half Hybrid on the blog - Just because many girls reach puberty earlier these days does not mean that they are emotionally or mentally developed enough to be mothers. Early maturity is not necessarily down to a "better diet". I'm pretty sure it's down to the hormones and additives that our in our food.
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18:20
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Marcel in Cameroon replying to the Daily email - It's good to have a baby at a younger age. I'm considering having a baby with my girlfriend who is. But she is against that idea becasue she wants to finish her university education first. From my perspective the ideal age to be a mum depends on one's objectives. I'm ready to be a dad as I've already achieved what I wanted to achieve. It's weird to judge someone because of their young age of marternity.
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18:18
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Pendkar on the blog - In older times, when women had no means of limiting the number of children, it was common for them to bear children into their forties. There was neither sympathy nor criticism. But now they do it out of choice, they attract criticism.
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18:17
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Tomva on the blog - Obviously 10 is too young to have a baby, but stoning a woman to death for promiscuity is wrong also. And genital mutilation is wrong. But all these wrongs are MY morals, not those of every culture. You cannot force everyone to accept your morals.
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18:17
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Clamdip lobster claws on the blog - The question should be why would society allow such a young girl to have a baby? If society really invested in a young person's future ie. excellent schools and jobs, would we even be having this discussion?
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18:16
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Rational thinker on the blog - It is surely for the benefit of all in society if women have children when they can make an informed choice after they have taken advantage of all that our education system has to offer.
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18:16
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Ebay TK Max on the blog - I think if a girl is under 16 she is too young to be a Mum! We wouldn't expect that from a boy age 10-16. So why should it be accepted for a girl? I wouldn't want my son - age 15 -getting up in the night and looking after a baby because he is a child himself!
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18:16
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Moulid in Nairobi - Men who seduce infants should be booked by the law and the UN should start a campaign against early marriage.
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18:15
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Ian on the blog - We are physically animals, like it or not. The point is we are at our best to propagate the species when the mother-to-be is physically strong. Nothing wrong with that, provided that mother and baby can adapt to society.
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18:15
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Adelaide on the blog - Children's bones do not stop developing until around 21 years of age. This may suggest that just because you have something it does not mean that it is ready for it's full use. After all we are born with two legs but we cannot walk for months.
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18:15
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Allison on the blog - A child's judgement and reactions are not mature. Our brain is developing until we are in our early 20's, so how can we agree that a child be placed with a mother, who's brain and body is still developing.
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18:14
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Angela in US - Even though biologically a 10 year old can have a baby - it doesn't mean it's right. It makes me sick to think that in some places in this world crimes are commited but are seen as 'ok' due to their religion or culture.
How young is too young to have a baby?
| Thursday, 11 Nov. 2010 | 18:06 - 19:00 GMT
She's ten and she's a mum. An unidentified Romanian girl has given birth in Spain, it's understood that the dad is 13. Despite cries of horror from many parts of the world, her own mother says she's happy about the birth, which she described as "something common in my country".
The girl apparently arrived in the country already pregnant and now authorities in Andalusia are deciding whether to take the child into care. A UN report says 10% of girls in low- and middle-income countries become mothers by the age of 16.
Your comments
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James - These days Kids are becoming sexually active at very tender age. We should not judge someone having a child at that age, it is a biological chance and they are a victim of social circumstances. in my neighborhood i know of kids as young as seven involving themselves in active sex.
Comment sent via Facebook
Benson - Here in Africa the problem is poverty. A girl who is not going to school thinks of marriage as an option.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
A Eshun emails - I believe a female's body goes through crucial developmental stages to set the stage for childbirth through her teens. A teenager, in my opinion, is physically too young to have a child
Comment sent via BLOG
Half Hybrid on the blog - Just because many girls reach puberty earlier these days does not mean that they are emotionally or mentally developed enough to be mothers. Early maturity is not necessarily down to a "better diet". I'm pretty sure it's down to the hormones and additives that our in our food.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Marcel in Cameroon replying to the Daily email - It's good to have a baby at a younger age. I'm considering having a baby with my girlfriend who is. But she is against that idea becasue she wants to finish her university education first. From my perspective the ideal age to be a mum depends on one's objectives. I'm ready to be a dad as I've already achieved what I wanted to achieve. It's weird to judge someone because of their young age of marternity.
Comment sent via BLOG
Pendkar on the blog - In older times, when women had no means of limiting the number of children, it was common for them to bear children into their forties. There was neither sympathy nor criticism. But now they do it out of choice, they attract criticism.
Comment sent via BLOG
Tomva on the blog - Obviously 10 is too young to have a baby, but stoning a woman to death for promiscuity is wrong also. And genital mutilation is wrong. But all these wrongs are MY morals, not those of every culture. You cannot force everyone to accept your morals.
Comment sent via BLOG
Clamdip lobster claws on the blog - The question should be why would society allow such a young girl to have a baby? If society really invested in a young person's future ie. excellent schools and jobs, would we even be having this discussion?
Comment sent via BLOG
Rational thinker on the blog - It is surely for the benefit of all in society if women have children when they can make an informed choice after they have taken advantage of all that our education system has to offer.
Comment sent via BLOG
Ebay TK Max on the blog - I think if a girl is under 16 she is too young to be a Mum! We wouldn't expect that from a boy age 10-16. So why should it be accepted for a girl? I wouldn't want my son - age 15 -getting up in the night and looking after a baby because he is a child himself!
Comment sent via Facebook
Moulid in Nairobi - Men who seduce infants should be booked by the law and the UN should start a campaign against early marriage.
Comment sent via BLOG
Ian on the blog - We are physically animals, like it or not. The point is we are at our best to propagate the species when the mother-to-be is physically strong. Nothing wrong with that, provided that mother and baby can adapt to society.
Comment sent via BLOG
Adelaide on the blog - Children's bones do not stop developing until around 21 years of age. This may suggest that just because you have something it does not mean that it is ready for it's full use. After all we are born with two legs but we cannot walk for months.
Comment sent via BLOG
Allison on the blog - A child's judgement and reactions are not mature. Our brain is developing until we are in our early 20's, so how can we agree that a child be placed with a mother, who's brain and body is still developing.
Comment sent via Facebook
Angela in US - Even though biologically a 10 year old can have a baby - it doesn't mean it's right. It makes me sick to think that in some places in this world crimes are commited but are seen as 'ok' due to their religion or culture.