Young Mothers

Doctors have long believed that pregnancy and confinement in adolescent girls may stunt their growth, cripple their pelvic organs, even affect their sanity. Several years ago Dr. Letitia Fairfield of London, a noted surgeon and sister of famed Novelist Rebecca West, set out to see how the facts fitted this belief. She visited London charity hospitals, examined 74 mothers between the ages of 13 and 16.

Last week in the Lancet Dr. Fairfield wrote her findings. So startling were they that she felt obliged to say she was no advocate of early motherhood but was "merely stating the facts.'' Observations:

> The girls "had surprisingly short and easy labors," ranging from averages of 14 to 18 1/2 hours. More than one-third delivered their babies in less than twelve hours -- "a remarkable record" for first births, which seldom take less than 18 hours. "All the mothers made a good recovery."

> The babies did not do as well as the mothers. Although many were fine and healthy the average weight (6 Ib. 14 oz.) was below normal. Two were stillborn, three died at birth, four had deformities.

> "The general impression," said Dr. Fairfield, "recorded for what it is worth, is that these young girls take the ordeal very well. . . . The case records showed not a single reference to unusual anxiety, depression or nervous instability during pregnancy, labor or the puerperium [period of confinement]."

> Only one of the 74 girls was mentally deficient. Many were "irresponsible and precocious children who had been running wild." One or two had been assaulted, some of the younger girls "had been the victims of incest," but most of them had entered into sexual relations willingly.

Five of the girls had gonorrhea; none had syphilis.

> "The youngest child in this series (13 years and three months at the date of confinement)," said Dr. Fairfield, "was further remarkable because the putative father of her baby was also only 13. Of the paternity there can be no absolute certainty, but the little fellow had no doubt himself and even went so far as to borrow his elder brother's long trousers and bowler hat to visit his offspring with becoming dignity. He had indeed performed the . . . impossible, for it is an 'irrebuttable presumption' of English law that a boy under 14 cannot procreate a child." Next week the world's youngest mother, six-year-old Lina Medina of Peru, and her 15-month-old baby boy (TIME, May 29, 1939) are expected to arrive in Chicago.

Purpose of Lina's visit is to convince skeptical U. S. doctors, especially Editor Morris Fishbein of the American Medical Association, that she is really the greatest prodigy in medical history. After she sees the Chicago doctors, it was rumored that Lina would join a road show.

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