More babies born to teen mums in Bountiful
 
CBC News - British Columbia
 
B.C. government statistics show the teenage pregnancy rate in the polygamous community of Bountiful is several times higher than the provincial average.

Provincial documents obtained by CBC News under the Freedom of Information Act also show that while the mothers were young, many of the men who fathered those babies were considerably older.

Sixty-nine babies were born to teenage girls in the polygamous community near Creston in southeastern B.C. between 1986 and 2004.

Almost half of the fathers were between five and 10 years older than the teenage girls who gave birth to their children. And more than a quarter of the men were even older – by a decade or more.

The statistics are included in a review ordered by B.C.'s deputy health minister, Dr. Penny Ballem, in late 2004.

Various government officials who are mentioned in the documents express concern over the statistics. Among them, B.C.'s public health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, who recommends keeping a close eye on the community.

But an official in the Ministry of Children and Families also notes the government has never found a child in need of protection in Bountiful, despite several investigations.
 
















 
CBC.ca
Originally published March 7, 2006
 
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