A 13-year-old girl had to be air-dashed to the city last Friday after she developed complications while giving birth at the Port Kaituma Hospital in Region One.
The child who apparently remained unconscious following a Caesarean Section was initially admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a city hospital before being transferred to the open ward.
Stabroek News understands that the child who hails from a riverain community and a 14-year-old who is pregnant are patients of the same hospital and are said to be in a stable condition. This newspaper was unable to determine if the 14-year-old girl had delivered her baby.
A source close to the Childcare and Protection Agency (CCPA) said yesterday that a number of reports have been received from interior areas including Region One about girls under the age of consent (16) giving birth.
This newspaper was told that at least seven girls (under the age of consent) and their babies are currently in the care of the agency.
“We are giving support to girls and we work with the police to find the perpetrators,” the source said adding that a lot of the pregnancies arise out of incest but it is often difficult to get the girls to admit this.
“The girls are not telling the right story. There is a lot of fear. There are a lot of reasons why children don’t talk about the abuse they endure. They don’t want to upset the family life,” the source stressed.
It was noted that the girls are given the choice to be re-enrolled in school or learn a skill. The agency takes care of both mother and child.
The aim, the source said, is to get the perpetrators behind bars while ensuring that the girls are given a second chance.
