Bajura, December 28

Chhamm Luwar from Gotri VDC-8, Bajura delivered a baby at the age of 45. Luwar, who tied the knot at the age of 14, has given birth to as many as 11 children till date. Among her 11 children, only seven are alive. “The others died before they reached one year,” Luwar said.

Kushkala Sarki from Jagannath VDC-4 delivered twins at the age of 41.

Chhamm and Kushkala are not aware of the appropriate age to bear children. Neither do they have any clue about the negative impacts that bearing a lot of children could have on them.

The health of both Chhamm and Kushkala has worsened as they lack any idea of the use of family planning.

Jaumati Bista, 40, and her husband from Gotri VDC-1 said that they lacked basic knowledge on the use of family planning. They had ten children. Of them, only five are alive.

Dr Lokendra Thapa at District Public Health Office Bajura said the age between 20 and 35 is the best for women to bear children. “However, the practice is to bear up to three children before 20 and bear more up to the age of 45 in most of villages,” Dr Thapa said.

According to Nurse Hemu Shrestha at Kolti Primary Health Centre, up to seven women of 35 years of age or more visit the centre to deliver babies in one month on average.

Delivering a baby at a young as well as when old is causing the untimely demise of some babies and mothers in the village.