{"id":7432,"date":"2013-05-09T11:45:09","date_gmt":"2013-05-09T15:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/why-a-mothers-age-is-important-to-newborn-survival\/"},"modified":"2023-11-06T13:16:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T18:16:06","slug":"why-a-mothers-age-is-important-to-newborn-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/why-a-mothers-age-is-important-to-newborn-survival\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a Mother\u2019s Age is Important to Newborn Survival"},"content":{"rendered":"
In light of the release of the State of the World’s Mothers <\/a>Report 2013, Surviving the First Day, it’s important to highlight that in order to help babies survive childbirth and their first day of life, the link between maternal and newborn health cannot be understated. Because a baby’s health and survival is critically linked to the health of the mother, maternal health is a precursor for newborn survival. And a mother’s age is significant.<\/div>\n
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It’s estimated that about 16 million adolescent girls give birth every year. Most of these births happen in low- and middle-income countries. World Health Organization statistics indicate that one in five girls has given birth by the age of 18, and that figure rises to more than 1 in 3 girls in the poorest regions of the world. Often, once a girl becomes a mother, we classify her as a woman. She is able to give birth before she is fully grown and before she is fully mature, but giving birth does not transform a girl into a woman. And this difference means a lot to her health, and to the health of her baby. Too often maternal health indicators include the term “women of reproductive age, between 15-49 years old” is used. Yet, a 15-year-old girl is not a woman. And when she becomes pregnant, grouping her with women disregards that both she and her baby are at a greater risk for adverse health conditions and death due to her young age. <\/div>\n
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Did you know…<\/div>\n
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