Angelah Nothando Mlotshwa
Environmental and Health Reporter
Reports emanating from Uganda says Mariam Nabatanzi now 42 has given birth to a number of children who surpass her age after getting married at a tender age of 12.
Nabatanzi is now all over social media for breaking the world record of giving birth to 44 children due to a rare health condition called hyper ovulation which makes her produce multiple eggs.
She narrated that when she went to the doctor for her situation after giving birth to twins at an early age, she was advised not to take any birth control pills as they may put her life at risk.
The only solution to this situation (hyper ovulation) was to continue giving birth.
Professor of Obstetric and Gynecologist Dr. Solwayo Ngwenya Acting Chief Executive Officer of Mpilo Central Hospital when asked for a comment about Nabatanzi said that the ability to have more and more children is possible but comes at a cost.
“Its possible since she was having multiple births. It carries very high risks such as uterine rupture, hemorrhage and maternal deaths. There are also risks to the babies during the pregnancy and childbirth,” he said.
Uterine rupture is the spontaneous tearing of the uterus that may result in the fetus being expelled into the peritoneal cavity. It occurs most often along healed scar lines in women who have had prior cesarean deliveries and overstretching of the uterine wall.
Hemorrhage can be defined as the excessive loss of blood either internal or external bleeding.
When asked if this rare condition may cause mental health, Prof. Dr. Ngwenya said,
“Not necessarily.”
Under the Ugandan laws, only 18 and above individuals are allowed to marry as stipulated in the Ugandan Constitution of 1995 Article 31(1) which states that,
“…on marriage, men and women of the age of eighteen years and above have the right to marry and have a family and are entitled to equal rights in marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution… “
Nabatanzi’s husband is said to have ran away in 2016 after he saw that these children were becoming more for his poor pockets, leaving their mother with a burden of feeding them alone.
“Mum is overwhelmed, the work is crushing her, we are trying where we can, like cooking and washing but she still carries the whole burden for the family. I feel for her”, said one of her children lvan Kibuka, aged 23.
In Zimbabwe, there is a related case of a young girl who was married under age, the case of Anna Machaya of Johanne Marange Apostolic church who passed away at the age of 15, made headlines due to complications while giving birth.
It is amazing how Nabatanzi has survived 44 births having had her first children at 13.