BAJURA: Many women in Bajura that get pregnant before the age of 20 face risk of parturition that could prove fatal.

Underage marriage still is a common practice in the rural hilly district.

According to health workers, many women, especially those below 20 years, die during parturition.

A few days ago, 23-year-old Ambakala Rokaya of Budhinanda Municipality-8 died within an hour of giving birth to a baby.

It has been reported that a total of five new mothers died in 2076 BS.

As per Bajura District Health Office's data, 592 women under 20 were pregnant in the fiscal year 2074/75 BS. Likewise, 451 women under 20 were pregnant in the fiscal year 2076/77, according to chief of the DHO, Rugam Thapa.

He said the number of women giving birth to babies could be higher than the number shown by the data.

Health coordinator at Budhinanda Municipality, Deepak Shah said it was common for underage women to become a mother and that some have more than two children before they turn 20.

Apart from the risk of complications during parturition, new mother and children also suffer from malnutrition if the mother is underage.

Nepal's population census conducted in 2068 BS showed that 24,919 women under 20 had married. Of them, 4,000 that were married were under the age of 15 years.