6 Sets of twins among 570 Christmas babies
South Africa welcomed over 570 Christmas babies, including 6 sets of twins, at public health facilities nationwide.
Gauteng reported the highest number of births, with 184 babies, followed by the Eastern Cape with 104 newborns.
Of the babies born in Gauteng, 105 were males while 79 were females.
Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoku, joined by Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza, visited Tembisa Hospital to to greet the new mothers and their babies.
The MEC also delivered gift packages containing nappies, baby clothes, blankets, and other essentials.
“Congratulations to all the families. We would also like to encourage parents to ensure that their bundles of joy are immunised at specified dates set out on the road to health care booklet to protect them against diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis, measles, and meningitis. Immunisation is free at all public clinics and community healthcare centres in the province,” emphasised MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
MEC @NkomoNomantu is encouraging mothers of new born babies to breastfeed their bundles of joy as breast milk contains the exact nutrients a baby needs for growth and brain development, as well as to ensure that they are immunised as per the Road to Health Card to protect against… pic.twitter.com/h4LHnmvVNz
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) December 25, 2024
Meanwhile, Limpopo recorded 84 births, followed by the North West with 50, KwaZulu-Natal with 47, Mpumalanga with 34, the Northern Cape with 30, and the Western Cape welcomed 18 Christmas babies.
The first Christmas baby was born at exactly 00:00 am in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by two other deliveries in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape at 00:01 am.
National health spokesperson Foster Mohale echoed the message by the Gauteng MEC, urging mothers to ensure their babies are immunised.
"The department will walk side by side with the new mothers as they embark on this incredible journey of motherhood. This includes ensuring their babies are up to date with immunisation to protect them against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases such as measles and polio.
TEENAGE MOTHERS
Concerns have been raised about the growing number of teenage mothers after the Health Department reported that a 13-year-old was among those who gave birth at Seshego Hospital in Limpopo on Christmas Day.
In KwaZulu-Natal, there were three 15-year-old new mothers while the North West reported that a 16-year-old girl was among those who gave birth at one of the province's health facilities.
ALSO READ:
