98 moms ring in new year with their bundles of joy
AT LEAST 98 new mothers rang in 2019 with little bundles of joy, giving birth to New Year’s babies across the province.
A total of 50 boys and 48 girls were born between midnight and 3pm yesterday. The first baby boy was born five seconds after midnight at the Mitchells Plain Hospital, weighing 3.5kg and measuring 49cm in length. Baby number two arrived at Paarl Hospital at 12.29am, weighing 2.98g and 52cm length.
The third baby boy was delivered at the George Hospital at 12.52am, at 1.91g and 48cm in length. The hospital was one of the busiest, with 15 babies delivered: eight boys and seven girls.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo visited Tygerberg Hospital where Zintle Mtshaza gave birth to her son, Liqhawe Mtshaza, one of two babies born at the facility when the MEC stopped by.
“I am very happy that he is here and healthy. We were referred from Khayelitsha because the baby had a low heart rate and was under distress; he had to be born via C-section,” Mtshaza said.
Home Affairs district manager Bongiwe Sakawuli said they were expecting at least one more baby to be born at Tygerberg later in the day, adding that they unfortunately lost a set of twins that were stillborn.
Mbombo congratulated the new moms and reminded them of the importance of registering their babies within 30 days. “I wish them the best with raising these little ones. They are in their most vulnerable stage.”
Mbombo was accompanied by Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan.
“Since the partnership between the departments of Home Affairs and Health, birth registration figures have improved. But we are still finding children that are not being registered within the first 30 days. The worst fate for any child is to be without a name and to be without an identity, so we stress to parents to register their children,” Chohan said.
I am very happy that he is here and healthy. We were referred from Khayelitsha… The baby had to be born via C-section
Zintle Mtshaza Mother
KWAZULU-NATAL had already welcomed 36 New Year’s Day babies by 8am, the province’s health MEC said yesterday.
Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo made the announcement at GJ Crookes Hospital in Scottburgh. The province had welcomed 17 boys and 19 girls, he said.
Bongiwe Mlotshwa, 30, was the first to give birth to a daughter at the stroke of midnight at Eshowe Hospital, said Dhlomo.
“At Addington Hospital, 24-yearold Sindisiwe Gumede gave birth to a set of boy twins.
“The two youngest mothers of New Year’s Day babies are aged 16, and gave birth at Ekombe and Edendale hospitals.
“There are also three mothers aged 18 who gave birth at Rietvlei, St Apollinaris and Emmaus, and another three aged 19, whose babies were born at Nkandla, St Apollinaris and Edendale hospitals.
“The oldest mother of the New Year’s Day babies in the province is 43, and gave birth at Edendale Hospital,” said Dhlomo.
Although GJ Crookes Hospital was concerned by the rate of teen pregnancies in its catchment area, the department had developed a programme of community dialogues to heighten awareness about the benefits of abstinence, protected sex and the dangers of teenage pregnancy, the MEC said.
“Significantly, teenage pregnancy accounts for about 8 to 10% of all deliveries in the country, which is about a million deliveries per year.
“But close to 45% of maternal deaths in the country come from this small 10%, because these young people generally delay coming to our clinics.
“They hide the pregnancy, and by the time they come to deliver, there are certain complications that cannot be reversed.
“Therefore, if we were to reduce or eradicate teenage pregnancy, we would significantly improve the maternal health outcomes of the province,” said Dhlomo.