What was meant to be a regular trip to the mall ended in shock for a Malaysian family recently, when their teenage daughter gave birth.
They had not known that she was pregnant.
Teen gives birth in shopping mall
According to The Star Online, the incident happened in a shopping mall in Malaysia on 21 November.
The teenager had complained of menstrual and abdominal pain while the family was walking around the mall. She had then excused herself to go to the toilet.
When she failed to return after almost an hour, the mother went to check on her. What she saw was shocking to say the least.
Her daughter was carrying a blood soaked baby girl in her hands.
Both the mother and father had no idea that their daughter was pregnant. Upon realising the truth, they rushed the girl to the hospital and reported the matter to the police.
According to Penampang police chief Supt Rosley Hobden, both the girl and her newborn baby girl were being warded at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Mr. Rosley said that the girl had revealed her sexual relationship with her 17-year-old boyfriend, with whom she had broken up five months ago.
Apparently, police are trying to track down the boyfriend to assist with investigations. Since the case involved underage sex, it would be classified as statutory rape.
PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Teen gives birth: Helplines in India
According to this report, the number of teen pregnancies in India continues to remain at a staggering 4 million. The cdaily reported that "For every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, there were 76 adolescent births in India in 2010 compared to 49 worldwide and 53 in less developed regions."
"Underage marriage and teen pregnancy are major health and economic concerns. Some 70,000 teen girls die every year from complications in pregnancy and childbirth, mostly in the developing world," the report said.
But abortion is legal in India, and is allowed for pregnancies of up to 20 weeks. Parental consent is also not required for a teenager to have an abortion.
Even then, teen pregnancy remains a cause for concern, as teenagers are not emotionally ready to raise a baby.
In case of crisis, here are some organisations which can offer support and counselling:
24 hour helpline: 1800103993
- Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK): Offers confidential support to pregnant women of all ages in difficult situations.
24 Hours Helpline: 1800-11-6555 or 011-6666-5555
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