In Brazil, One in Every Five Babies Has an Adolescent Mother

03/01/2017 - 12h23

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JÚLIA BARBON

FROM SÃO PAULO

Adolescents gave birth to 431,000 babies in 2016, amounting to 21% of annual births in Brazil. 

In the last decade, the country was not able to reduce the number of babies born to individuals under 20 years of age- this group accounted for 21% of births in 2007, as reported by Datasus. 

In a similar period, from 2007 to 2015 (last available data), there was a 44% drop in the number of adolescent births in the United States. 

According to physicians, long term contraceptive methods would be an effective option.  It is one of the resources that helped the United States lower its rate. 

Early pregnancy can complicate a family's financial situation: poor youth become pregnant at a higher rate than others, drop out of school and have a difficult time finding work. 

An Ipea study (federal institute) shows that 76% of Brazilian mothers between the ages of 10 and 17 do not attend school, and 58% do not attend school or become employed. 

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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