Jaipur: Twelve out of 100 maternal deaths reported in the state are in the age group of 15-19 years. This grim figures are part of the recently released (in May) annual health survey 2011-12 report. The report shows that maternal deaths among 15-19 age group account for 12% of total maternal deaths in the state. The state government has also accepted, in its draft annual report 2013-14, that more than 25% of girls become mothers between 15-19 years of age. The scourge of child marriages have always been a cause of concern for the medical health and family welfare department, which is working hard to improve health indicators in the state. Rajasthan is one of the states with not so good health indicators. The health department officials claimed that early pregnancy gives rise to various health-related problems to the mother and the child as well. For the recently released annual health survey (AHS) 2011-12, the officials had taken samples of 341 female deaths in the age group of 15-19 years and found that 42 of them were died due to pregnancy-related complications, which were included in the maternal mortality rate (MMR) of the state. The rate of maternal death in 15-19 age group is decreasing but at slow pace. In the AHS 2010-11, the rate of maternal deaths was 13% of the total deaths among 15-19 age group. A private hospital’s gynecologist Dr Shalu Kakkad said, “The risk of death of a mother or her baby delivering an infant before attaining 18 years is higher. In some cases, such mothers deliver premature infants.” The medical health and family welfare department claimed that child marriages and early marriages are one of the reasons of high MMR, infant mortality rate (IMR) and also total fertility rate (TFR). In 2012, a health department official in a state-level programme on Millinium Development Goals, citing District Level Household Survey III (DLHS III), said more than 40% of women get married early. Also, due to child marriages the state has adolescent fertility rate, which is as high as 16%.