13 March,2009 11:50 AM IST | | Alisha Coelho
Even though Western India recorded the lowest numbers in a pan-India child marriage and related health problems survey, a recent article published in the Lancet medical journal this week casts light on the troubling issues faced by the child bride.
The study titled 'Prevalence of child marriage and its effect on fertility and fertility-control outcomes of young women in India: a cross-sectional, observational study' showed that a whopping 44.5 per cent of women surveyed were married before 15, 22.6 per cent were married before 16 and 2.6 were married before 13. Over 22,000 women between the age groups of 20-24 were interviewed for the survey.
"The child bride is subjected to many health problems because of this practice," said study co-author Dr Balaiah Donta, head of department of Biostatistics at the National Institute Research in Reproductive Health in Parel.
"There's a tremendous increase in unwanted and terminated pregnancies, early sterilisations, miscarriages, stillbirths, high infant mortality and not to forget, a damaging amount of mental stress to the mother," said Donta, adding that the focus shouldn't be on sterilization but the use of contraceptives, a practice that is still uncommon in many parts of India.
Mumbai and other urban areas were also at risk. "In centres like Mumbai, the prevalence wasn't across groups because of increased awareness and education though child marriage is still rampant in urban slum areas with high migrant populations," said Donta.
The numbers are telling of how widespread the phenomenon is. Even in mega cities, 21.3 per cent of the sample interviewed, or a fifth of the population witnessed child marriage. In comparison the number was nearly double in rural village where the percentage was as high as 52.5 per cent.
