A study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) indicates a direct correlation between teen pregnancy and child stunting in India, a country with the highest rates of stunted growth among children worldwide. Among the 10 countries suffering the most from teenage pregnancy, India continues to struggle with the repercussions of this pressing issue. The research conducted by IFPRI, which collected data from the fourth Indian National Family Health Survey, delved into various biological, social, and other potential contributing factors to early pregnancy and child stunting.
Findings of the IFPRI Study
According to the IFPRI research, teenage mothers largely have poorer nutritional status, lower levels of education, inadequate access to prenatal health services, and below-par living conditions compared to adult mothers. Stunting and underweight prevalence were found to be 10% higher in children born to teenage mothers compared to adults. Teenage mothers recorded lower physical metrics, with an average height and weight less than adult first-time mothers. The research also revealed a high occurrence of anaemia amongst teenage mothers, leading to reduced child growth due to low haemoglobin levels caused by iron deficiency.
Impact of Adolescent Pregnancy
Adolescent pregnancy often leads to tragic outcomes including school dropouts, adversely impacting young women’s education, income, future prospects and health. Moreover, there’s a significant correlation with poor health outcomes for their offsprings.
Staggering Projections
Forecasts from the World Bank suggest a bleak future if these trends continue, indicating that around 127 million Indian children under five years will be stunted by 2025. These children are at an increased risk of degenerative diseases such as diabetes which greatly undermines their future livelihood and the economic progress of the country.
| Projected Stunting Cases by 2025 | Economic Impact of Stunting |
|---|---|
| 127 million children under five years | Up to 3% reduction in GDP |
About the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
The IFPRI is a research branch of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global collaboration dedicated to agricultural research for development. Founded in 1975, IFPRI aims to provide research-based policy solutions to alleviate poverty and eliminate hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.
The Way Ahead
The sole resolution to tackle the interconnected issues of teenage pregnancy and child stunting is to abolish early marriage, according to the researchers. They propose that government policies and programmes designed to delay marriage could capitalise on this mindset. Empirical evidence shows that interventions such as unconditional cash transfers, conditional cash transfers based on school enrolment and vocational training can effectively prevent early marriages in low to middle-income countries. There is an urgent requirement for stringent laws against early marriage, with reconsideration of the legal marriage age of girls, which is currently 18 in India.