Dr. Cătălina Mărgineanu, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Buftea Maternity Hospital, says that most underage mothers come from disadvantaged families and, in most cases, they don't even know they are pregnant.

"We have patients giving birth at the ages of 12, 16 and 17, but indeed, many very young mothers come from disadvantaged families, either attending school or dropping out during pregnancy or after childbirth. Often, they are unaware that they are pregnant, do not discuss it with their parents, reach full-term or go into labor, perhaps with a premature pregnancy", said Dr. Cătălina Mărgineanu on Medika TV on the evening of November 1st, according to news.ro.

"We try to manage the birth in such a way that it is beneficial for both mothers and babies. Some mothers do not undergo pregnancy investigations because they are unaware they are pregnant or hide the pregnancy from their parents. Certainly, they may come with infections, pregnancy complications or ruptured membranes due to infections, and then end up giving birth prematurely", added the doctor.

The doctor recalled the case of a 15-year-old patient she attended to, who already had two children at home.

"A case that stuck in my mind was when I was on call in Buzău and I was requested to see a pregnant, second-trimester 15-year-old. I asked, and the patient responded. Certainly, it was somewhat shocking, at just 15 years old and already having two children at home", added Mărgineanu.

Dr. Andrei Dumitrescu, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at the Emergency County Hospital in Călărași, remembers that his youngest patient who became a mother was only 12 years old.

"The youngest age for a pregnant patient who gave birth with our team was 12 years, 6 months and a few days. A 12-year-old patient cannot be considered to have discernment and cannot sign consents for any kind of intervention, including those necessary for analysis collection. In this case, we need the signature of a legal guardian. In the vast majority of cases, family members, parents, are usually abroad or from other counties. We start by identifying the patient with the help of the Police, and after admission, we try to manage the case as best as possible. If an emergency intervention is needed, a commission of 3 doctors is formed to make the decision", said Andrei Dumitrescu, who also drew attention to the lack of sexual education in schools.

According to data from Save the Children organization, 32% of underage mothers were born to underage mothers. Additionally, 45% of births among girls under 15 in the EU occur in Romania.

Save the Children's data shows that more than 8 out of 10 mothers or pregnant girls under 18 no longer go to school.

Moreover, according to the National Institute of Statistics, in the year 2022, a total of 687 girls became mothers under the age of 15.