Gauteng leads the country in New Year’s Day newborns

Amid New Year’s Day celebrations, five provinces have welcomed the birth in public hospitals of at least 398 babies, with Gauteng topping the list with a record 213 by yesterday afternoon.

In terms of the statistics supplied by health MECs, expected to increase when the national department today releases a national figure, 66 babies were born in KwaZulu-Natal, 42 in Mpumalanga, 33 in the Northern Cape, 25 in the North West and 19 in the Free State. Numbers for the Western Cape, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape were not readily available.

Congratulating mothers of newly-born babies, Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku stressed the importance of breastfeeding, “especially in the first six months”.

Breastfeeding, said Masuku, had a positive impact on the baby’s nutrition, bonding and is resilient to diseases.

“Let me also extend my appreciation to the Gauteng department of health workforce for working tirelessly throughout the year in ensuring that service delivery is not interrupted.

“Your hard work has not gone unnoticed,” said Masuku.

Accompanying KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala, health MEC Kwazi Mshengu and provincial head of health Dr Sandile Tshabalala, national Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize visited King Dinuzulu Hospital in Durban.

As part of the Presidential Health Compact through the public health infrastructure refurbishment programme, King Dinuzulu Hospital (formerly King George V Hospital) has recently been refurbished with a new state-of-the-art emergency centre.

Talking to mothers, interacting with patients and health workers, Mkhize also inspected new upgrades at the hospital.

In the Free State, health spokesperson Bonny Sehularo said the first baby was born a minute after midnight at Bloemfontein’s Pelonomi Hospital.

In the North West, health MEC Madoda Sambatha visited Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp – part of a series of planned visits to various health facilities in the province.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has estimated that over 392,000 babies would be born around the world on New Year’s Day.

“The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations, not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us.

“As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibilities and potential of each child embarking on a life journey,” said Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore.

She said Fiji in the Pacific was most likely to deliver 2020’s first baby, with the United States, its last. Globally, over half of the births were expected to take place in eight countries.

Each January, Unicef celebrates babies born on New Year’s Day, an auspicious day for childbirth around the world. However, for millions of newborns around the world, the day of their birth was far less auspicious.

Last year 2.5 million newborns died in their first month – about a third of them on their first day of life. Most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery and infections like sepsis.

Unicef said more than 2.5 million babies were born dead on average each year.

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