Lina Medina

Lina Medina (September 23, 1933 – present) is a Peruvian woman whose case represents one of the most extraordinary and disturbing anomalies in medical history. In May 1939, at just five years old, she gave birth via cesarean section to a healthy baby boy in a Puno hospital, making her the youngest confirmed mother ever recorded in medical literature. The identity of the father remains officially undetermined, though her own father was investigated and imprisoned. Her case sparked international medical attention and ethical debates about childhood, reproduction, and the limits of biological possibility. Medina's son, Gerardo, was raised by her grandparents and lived a relatively normal life, eventually adopting the name Gerardo Medina Morales. Lina herself married at age 14 and had a second son at 38. She lived a quiet life in Peru, largely away from the public eye, though her case continues to be studied in medical schools worldwide. Her story remains a poignant example of the intersection between medical curiosity and human vulnerability, raising questions about consent, protection of children, and the ethical dimensions of famous cases.