If I tell you a healthy mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy on 14^th May, 1939. Then you might not take it seriously because thousands of women gave birth to babies on a daily basis. But the age of a mother definitely matters. Teenage pregnancies are common in various parts of the world. Even there are laws that ban underage marriages because of the challenges a young mother had to face in pregnancy. Would you believe a kindergartner had become a mother? The girl who holds the record of being the youngest mother in the world is Lina Medina.

How Lina became the youngest mother in the world?

On 27^th September 1933, Lina Medina was born in Ticrapo, Peru. When Lina was 5 years and 8 months old her parents, Tiburelo Medina and Victoria Losea, noticed that their daughter’s belly is growing abnormally. They thought it must be a tumor. So they took her to a doctor in Lima, far away from their home. The doctor after performing her full checkup discovered that Lina was seven months pregnant. Dr. Gerardo Lozada handled her case. Lozada observed that Lina’s sex organs and mammary glands are fully developed just like an adult’s. Just six weeks later Lina gave birth to a healthy baby boy who was named Gerardo after the name of Dr. Gerardo.

Baby boy, Gerardo, was born through a Caesarean operation at Lima’s Maternity Clinic. Gerardo weighed over six pounds and in good health. Lina was healthy and normal after giving birth so she along with her son were able to leave the hospital only after a few days.

This news spread like wildfire in the country. The pediatricians from all over the world also took interest in Lina’s case. Dr. Gerardo Lozada conducted a thorough study of Lina’s body. He took X-rays of both mother and child. Dr. Gerardo observed that Lina began menstruating at the age of 8 months only. At the age of four Lina had fully developed sex organs, mature breast and even pubic hair. Even though she had premature a pregnancy but her body portion and bone strength was amazing.

May be Lina had a genetic disorder: Precocious Puberty

Later doctors find that Lina had a rare genetic disorder “Precocious Puberty”. In this disorder, sexual changes begin in the body of a child before the age of eight. This problem can occur in both boys and girls but it is more likely to affect girls. In boys the symptoms of precocious puberty are facial hair, deepening of voice and developed genitals. While in girls menstruation begins earlier than normal. The chances that a child is affected by precocious puberty is one in 10,000. However, more girls than boys are affected by it. The exact cause of precocious puberty is not identified but sexual contact at early age can accelerate the disease. Perhaps, that might be the case with Lina. Because she had advanced bone-growth and wider-hips, a sign of sexual maturity.

Lina never told who the biological father of the baby was. As Gerardo grew up he thought Lina was her elder sister. At the age of 10, he found that Lina was actually his mother. Lina’s father was arrested on being accused of child abuse but he release due to lack of evidences.

Gerardo’s Mysterious Death

When Gerardo was 40 years old he contracted a disease that affected his bones. Soon in 1979 he died. It was hard to find any link between his disease and his mother’s premature pregnancy. The youngest mother in the world, Lina, married at the age of 25. She was 33 years old when she gave birth to a second baby boy. No one knows who the father of Gerardo was. Would you like to do research on it?