Lina Medina
Youngest confirmed mother in history, gave birth at age five.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Lina Marcela Medina de Jurado, born on 23 September 1933 in Ticrapo, Peru, is the youngest confirmed mother in history. On 14 May 1939, at five years, seven months, and 21 days old, she gave birth to a son, Gerardo. Medical assessments indicate she became pregnant at age four, made biologically possible by precocious puberty.
Medina was one of nine children of Tiburelo Medina, a silversmith, and Victoria Losea. At age five, her parents took her to a hospital in Pisco because her abdomen was growing. Doctors initially suspected a tumor but discovered she was seven months pregnant. Dr. Gerardo Lozada brought in specialists from Lima to confirm the pregnancy.
The case drew widespread attention. In July 1939, the *San Antonio Light* reported that a Peruvian obstetrician and midwife association demanded Medina be admitted to a national maternity hospital. The paper also noted that an American film studio had offered $5,000 for filming rights, but the offer was rejected. Dr. Lozada had made scientific films of Medina and shown them to Peru’s National Academy of Medicine; multiple photographs of Medina exist, including earlier ones, and the footage intrigued experts.
Six weeks after diagnosis, on 14 May 1939, Medina delivered Gerardo by caesarean section because her pelvis was too small. The surgery was performed by Lozada and Dr. Busalleu, with Dr. Colareta providing anesthesia. Doctors found her sexual organs fully mature due to precocious puberty. Dr. Edmundo Escomel reported in *La Presse Médicale* that her menarche had occurred at 2 years and 8 months old and that she had regular cycles from that age. Gerardo weighed 2.7 kg at birth and was named after Lozada. He was raised believing Medina was his sister until age ten, when he learned the truth. Lozada later took custody of Gerardo and employed Medina as a secretary at his Lima clinic, where she also lived, seeing her son only occasionally. Gerardo died in 1979 at age 40 from bone marrow disease.
Medina never revealed the father’s identity or how she became pregnant. Escomel suggested she might not know, as she “couldn’t give precise responses.” Her father was arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse but released for lack of evidence.
As a young adult, Medina worked as a secretary in Lozada’s clinic, which provided her education and helped put her son through high school. She later married and had a s
- born
- 23 September 1933
- field
- Medicine, human development
- nationality
- Peruvian
- known_for
- Youngest confirmed mother in history
Lore & Background
Lina Medina Losea was born in 1933 in Ticrapo, Castrovirreyna Province, Peru, to parents Tiburelo Medina, a silversmith, and Victoria Losea. She was one of nine children. At age five, her parents took her to a hospital in Pisco due to increasing abdominal size. Doctors initially thought she had a tumor but then determined she was in her seventh month of pregnancy. Dr. Gerardo Lozada had specialists in Lima confirm the pregnancy.
Six weeks after the diagnosis, on 14 May 1939, Medina gave birth to son Gerardo by caesarean section, necessitated by her small pelvis. The surgery was performed by Lozada and Dr. Busalleu, with Dr. Colareta providing anaesthesia. The doctors found she had fully mature sexual organs from precocious puberty. Dr. Edmundo Escomel reported her case in the medical journal La Presse Médicale, including that her menarche had occurred at 2 years and 8 months of age and that she had regular cycles from that age.
Reader's Guide
Lina Medina's case remains a landmark in medical history, documenting the youngest confirmed instance of human pregnancy and childbirth. The event was verified by multiple doctors through biopsies, X-rays of the fetal skeleton in utero, and photographs. The case generated widespread interest, including demands from a Peruvian obstetrician and midwife association that she be admitted to a national maternity hospital, and an offer from an American film studio for filming rights, which was rejected. Dr. Lozada made films of Medina for scientific documentation and showed them while addressing Peru's National Academy of Medicine. The case has been subject to speculation of being a hoax, but medical documentation has consistently upheld its authenticity. Medina's later life was marked by privacy; she refused interviews, including one from Reuters in 2002. Her son Gerardo grew up healthy but died in 1979 at age 40 from bone marrow disease. The case raises profound questions about precocious puberty, child welfare, and the limits of biological development.
Did You Know?
- Medina's menarche occurred at 2 years and 8 months of age, not eight months as sometimes misreported.
- Contrary to claims that only one confirmed photograph exists, multiple photographs of Medina from the time of her pregnancy and birth are known to exist.
More in Figures Of Infamy And Espionage 1-22
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record