EARLY CHILDBIRTH: THE CONTINUING CHALLENGES (CASE STUDY OF 3 NORTH WESTERN STATES IN NIGERIA)

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mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-theme-font:major-latin">1.1.         


mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">BACKGROUND

TO THE STUDY

It is a known fact that
major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">about 70,000 adolescents in

developing countries such as Nigeria die annually of causes related to childbirth

and pregnancy. Childbirth and pregnancy are a leading cause of death for older

adolescent females in developing countries. Adolescents who become pregnant

tend to be from lower-income households and be nutritionally depleted. Health

problems are more likely if a girl becomes pregnant too soon after reaching

puberty.

Early childbirth is recognized worldwide to have a

profound impact on the well-being and reproductive health of young women, as

well as the overall pace and direction of a country’s development. Early

Early childbirth can derail a young woman’s educational prospects, reduce her

long-term social and economic autonomy, and endanger both her health and that

of her newborn. In Nigeria, one of West Africa largest populated countries,

reducing high levels of adolescent early childbirth is therefore critical to

improving the lives of women and their families and society in general.

mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:

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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:

EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Adolescent reproductive behavior has become a

social problem in many sub-Saharan African countries because it tends to lead

to school dropouts, illegal abortions, child abandonment, increasing number of

adolescent prostitutes, early breakages of marriages, and the growing rate of

HIV/AIDS particularly among young women (Ajayi et al., 1998). 
mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">

mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Women in

northern Nigeria continue to follow the traditional pattern of early marriage,

with a median age of about 15 years. The prevalence of teenage childbearing in

Northern Nigeria is as high as 39% in the North East, 45% in the North West,

and 22% in the North Central (NPC and ICF Macro, 2009). A large proportion of

births to young mothers occur within marriage and early marriage further

contributes to early childbearing (Barker and Rich, 1992).

mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Teenage childbirth

 rate remains high, and five times as high

in the Northern Nigeria as in the Southern part of the country. The

contribution of adolescents to overall fertility in the North East and North

West regions of the country is about three times as high as that of their

counterparts in the South East and four times that of those in the South West

(NPC, 2002a; NPC and ICF Macro, 2009).

mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">

mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">Given the

high level of involvement of adolescents in childbearing, and that the

contribution of their fertility to the overall fertility rate in Nigeria has

been enormous and increasing the population of the country over the time, this

research study shall cease to determine the continuing challenges posed to the

society as a result of early childbirth among young teenagers in Northern

Nigeria. 

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