Peer-reviewed article
Child Loss among Adolescent Mothers in India: Associations with Consanguineous Marriage, Child Marriage and Teenage Childbirth
S Radhakrishnan ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study uses data from India's fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) on women aged 15-19. It looks at how marriage between blood relatives, child marriage and teenage pregnancy relate to the loss of a first child. The authors report that consanguineous marriage and child marriage are linked to a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that the two together raise the probability of first-child death further. They recommend more education, less poverty, later marriage and greater awareness of the reproductive risks of consanguinity and early pregnancy.
Key points
- In NFHS-5, 7% of women aged 15-19 in India have begun childbearing: 5% have had a live birth and 2% are pregnant with their first child.
- Consanguineous marriage and child marriage were associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- The combined effect of consanguineous marriage and child marriage further increased the probability of first-child death.
- Women who married at 18 or older had 1.2 times higher odds of having a living child than women who experienced child marriage.
- The overall regression model was statistically significant (χ²(5, 5462) = 25.278, p < 0.01).
Limitations
The abstract describes a cross-sectional survey analysis, so it shows associations rather than causes, and it gives no detail on how child loss was measured or on other factors controlled for. The sample is limited to adolescent women, and the abstract does not say how the sample was defined, so the findings may not apply to older mothers.
Abstract
Introduction: Teenage childbearing increases the risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes. According to NFHS-5, 7% of women aged 15–19 in India have begun childbearing, including 5% who have had a live birth and 2% who are pregnant with their first child. Child marriage remains common in several northern Indian states and is a major driver of early and high-risk fertility. Consanguineous marriage, prevalent in parts of India, may further increase reproductive risks. This study examines the individual and combined effects of consanguineous marriage, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy on child loss among adolescent women in India.Method: Data were drawn from NFHS-5 for women aged 15–19 years. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests assessed associations between key predictors and child loss. Univariate and bivariate analyses, followed by binary logistic regression, estimated the independent and combined effects of consanguinity, age at marriage, and teenage pregnancy.Results: Consanguineous marriage and child marriage were associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, while their combined effect further increased the probability of first-child death. The overall model was statistically significant (χ²(5,5462) = 25.278, p < 0.01). Women who married at age 18 or older had 1.2 times higher odds of having a living child than women who experienced child marriage.Conclusion: Consanguineous marriage and child marriage significantly increase the risk of child loss among adolescent mothers in India. Interventions should focus on improving education, reducing poverty, delaying marriage, and increasing awareness of the reproductive risks associated with consanguinity and early pregnancy.