Baby Fever and Longing for Children

Abstract

In most societies, sexual maturation has been closely followed by marriage and childbearing. In the Hadza of Tanzania who are huntergatherers, women reach sexual maturation at 16.5 years, marry around 17, and have their first child at 19 (Marlowe 2011, p. 151). Similarly, in contemporary India many poor women experience sexual maturation, marriage and childbearing before they turn 16 (Raj, Saggurti, Balaiah and Silverman 2009).