There’s a high number of pregnant teenagers in Pajan, Manabi (Ecuador)

At the hospital Israel Quintero Paredes, in the Pajan canton, province of Manabí, statistics of recent years  managed by this House of health, revealed that annually around 1 090 mothers are pregnant and of that group, 45% are teenagers.

The figures indicate that of ten minors, almost half is pregnant and mainly reside in communities away from the city. For Mayra Zambrano, nurse of the hospital, this is because they are not receiving basic sexual education, for she is almost normal to see in the week up to 10 teenagers, aged 13 to 16 years old, pregnant  or with children in arms.

For the director of the hospital, Freddy Saldarreaga, this, beyond being a subject of condoms and education, is a cultural issue which must be paid more attention, as it is very important that young people understand that a pregnant teenager  more than  truncate their dreams also has the weigh of her health condition and the being carrying in her womb.

On June 12 the hospital opened with five beds the albergue-hogar for pregnant and home for women (within days of giving birth) who reside in remote areas, they can remain under care prior to delivery and not  risk their lives or the infants.

Saldarreaga indicates that during their temporary stay in the shelter  the mother will receive food and care, and be able to receive visits. What is being sought is to reduce deaths of newborns and their mothers.

In Ecuador, of 705 163 adolescents surveyed in 2010, 121 288, i.e. 17.2%, has become a mother, figures that placed Ecuador as a leader in Andean countries with the largest number of pregnancies in girls and adolescents.