Lina Medina
Lina Medina is a Peruvian woman known for becoming the youngest confirmed mother in medical history.
Lina Medina is a Peruvian woman known for becoming the youngest confirmed mother in medical history. Born in 1933, she gave birth by caesarean section in 1939 at the age of 5 years, 7 months, and 21 days. Her case is commonly discussed in relation to precocious puberty and the medical and social issues surrounding child pregnancy.
Early life
Lina Medina was born in 1933 in Ticrapo, Peru. Publicly available accounts describe her as a child from a poor rural family before the events that brought her international attention.
Pregnancy and childbirth
In 1939, Medina was taken for medical evaluation because of abdominal swelling, and doctors determined she was pregnant. She later gave birth by caesarean section to a son, Gerardo, on 14 May 1939.
Medical significance
Medina’s case is frequently cited in discussions of precocious puberty, a condition involving unusually early sexual development. It remains one of the most widely known and studied cases in medical history.
Later life
After the birth, Medina lived largely outside the public eye. Sources describe her later life as private, with limited verified public information available.
Key facts
- Medina is widely identified as the youngest confirmed mother in medical history.
- She gave birth in 1939 after physicians determined she was pregnant despite her very young age.
- The birth was delivered by caesarean section.
- Her case is commonly associated with precocious puberty.
- Her son was named Gerardo Medina.
Lina Medina’s case is of general medical and historical interest to Canadian readers as an internationally known example of precocious puberty and child pregnancy, topics relevant to medicine, ethics, and child protection.
Frequently asked questions
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References
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_MedinaSupports: Birth date, Peruvian identity, record as youngest confirmed mother, age at childbirth, son's name.
- HowStuffWorks — https://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/conception/lina-medina.htmSupports: Childhood medical presentation, pregnancy discovery, caesarean delivery, age at birth, precocious puberty context.
- German Wikipedia — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_MedinaSupports: Youngest mother in history and youngest confirmed case of pubertas praecox; birthplace and birth date variants.
- St. Mary's College archive PDF — https://archive.stmarys-ca.edu/archive-top3-18/lina-medina-historia.pdfSupports: Background summary, medical and social significance, childbirth details, son's name.