<![CDATA[Child marriage is a multidimensional issue that has serious impacts on reproductive health, socio-economic conditions, law, and education in rural areas. This study aims to analyze in depth the phenomenon of child marriage in Ndeskati Village, Karo Regency, and its impact on the risk of toddler stunting and family resilience. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques through in-depth interviews with the Ndeskati Village Midwife as the key informant, field observation, and documentation study. The results showed that early pregnancy causes fatal medical impacts on adolescent mothers due to reproductive organ immaturity, such as the risk of postpartum hemorrhage to maternal paralysis, and is directly proportional to the high precipitation of toddler stunting cases due to nutritional and parenting unpreparedness. From a legal aspect, although Law No. 16 of 2019 has been massively disseminated by health agencies, child marriage practices continue due to high requests for marriage dispensation and unregistered marriages. The main driver of this phenomenon in Ndeskati Village is the prevalence of free association leading to unplanned pregnancies, which results in intergenerational poverty traps and financial dependence. Conversely, participation in secondary/higher education is proven to be the most effective protective barrier in delaying marriage age. This study recommends a multisystemic approach involving synergy between health workers, educational institutions, religious/customary figures, and parental supervision to reduce child marriage rates.]]>
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