Durban - A total of 167 babies were born at public hospitals in Gauteng by noon on New Year’s Day, according to the Department of Health.
This number included three sets of twins.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to welcome the newborns and to present their parents with gifts.
“We are encouraging all the mothers who have just delivered their bundles of joy to make use of the Department of Home Affairs offices that are in-house at our facilities to register their babies before going home.
“We are also encouraging them to exclusively breast-feed their babies for the first six months, as breast milk contains all nutritional substances and antibodies babies need to grow and protect them from illnesses. They must also ensure that their little ones are immunised at the right times in order to protect them against diseases such as polio, hepatitis, measles and meningitis,” said MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The department said 15 babies were born at Academic hospitals – seven at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and four at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.
Tertiary hospitals delivered 25 babies, with Tembisa Hospital welcoming 20 babies and Kalafong Hospital five.
An updated number would be provided later on Monday, the department said.
In KZN, by 3pm, the province had welcomed 109 New Year babies. This number is made up of 62 girls and 47 boys.
The first baby was born at the stroke of midnight at Addington Hospital in Durban. The child’s parents are both 17 years old.
IOL