KANCHANPUR: The number of teenage mothers under the age of 20 is increasing in Shuklaphanta Municipality, raising concerns over the physical and mental health of girls marrying before reaching adulthood.
According to the municipality’s health department, out of the 302 women who gave birth at local birthing centers in the current fiscal year, 30 were under the age of 20—up from 28 last year. These teenage mothers were between 16 and 19 years old.
Paramananda Bhatta, head of the municipality’s health department, said teenage pregnancies pose serious health risks to both mother and child, as adolescent bodies are not fully mature for childbirth.
“Despite legal provisions that prohibit marriage before the age of 20, these laws are not effectively enforced in practice,” he said.
He added that many teenage girls become pregnant without adequate knowledge of safe sexual practices due to a lack of education, public awareness, and access to sexual and reproductive health information.
This, in turn, leads to complications such as low birth weight, maternal infections, physical weakness, and increased health risks for newborns.
Bhatta emphasized that strengthening education, raising awareness, and improving health services are key to reducing teenage pregnancies.
“Enhancing access to girls’ education, providing sexual health education to adolescents, and informing them about legal protections against child marriage are essential steps,” he said.
It has been observed that most teenage pregnancies involve girls who have dropped out of school and eloped to marry. There is no indication that these marriages are taking place under parental pressure.
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