The hospital in the southern town of Jerez where the girl gave birth
A 10-year-old girl has given birth in southern Spain and authorities are evaluating whether to let her and her family retain custody of the baby, an official said yesterday. The baby was born last week in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, said Micaela Navarro, the Andalusia region's social affairs minister.
Navarro told reporters the father of the baby is also a minor, and both the mother and the baby were in good health. Her department declined to give further details, such as the sex of baby. Spanish newspapers said the mother is of Romanian origin.
The daily Diario de Jerez quoted medical staffers who treated the girl as saying they were told by her mother that giving birth at such a young age is common in their country. The mother was admitted to a 'minimum care' ward at the hospital and gave birth naturally to the 6.3lb baby.
The mother appeared to tell hospital staff her daughter 'lived with her boyfriend' back in Romania. Medical experts warn that because young girls are still growing themselves, they are at higher risk during pregnancy. Studies have shown that teenage girls are more likely to give birth to premature babies and their infants have a higher chance of dying by age one.
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