The cases of child motherhood were documented in the recently updated database by the Ministry of Health, which tracks births in Mexico for the past year. The information was summarized in charts by Montse, a data analyst and science communicator, who shared the tables titled “Child Maternity Rates During 2024.”
The results showed that in Mexico, there were 7,975 births to mothers between 10 and 14 years old.
Specifically, there were 3 cases at age 10, 32 cases at age 11, 195 cases at age 12, 1,422 cases at age 13, and approximately 6,323 cases at age 14.
The state with the highest number of births per every 10,000 girls aged 10 to 14 was Chiapas, with a total of 864 cases, indicating a rate of 28.3%.
Baja California Sur recorded around 50 births in 2024 to mothers aged between 10 and 14 years old. With these figures, it ranked 14th out of 32 states in terms of the highest number of cases per 10,000 girls of that age.
Other states that stand out in the top 15 positions of these tables include Guerrero, with 406 births and a rate of 24%, and Campeche, with 85 cases and a rate of 20%.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), for a pregnancy to be considered adolescent, it must occur between the ages of 15 and 19.
Factors influencing these cases include pressure to marry and have children, and additionally, child sexual abuse increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies.
Early childbearing is recognized as a significant public health concern worldwide.