Christmas baby celebrations overshadowed by concerns of teenage pregnancy

As the South African government continues to celebrate babies born on Christmas Day, it has also raised concerns about the scourge of teenage pregnancy in the country.

The country recorded at least 570 babies between 12am and 12pm on Christmas Day.

Among the new mothers was a 13-year-old girl who gave birth at Seshego Hospital outside Polokwane in Limpopo, three 15-year-olds who gave birth at Emmaus, Hlabisa, and St Andrews Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, and a 16-year-old young girl who gave birth at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital in the North West province.

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KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi shared her concerns about the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the province.

“This is a deeply concerning trend. Teenage pregnancies not only affect the health of young mothers but also place additional pressure on families and the healthcare system,” she said.

She called for the strengthening of education and outreach programmes to address the root causes of teenage pregnancy, including socio-economic challenges, lack of access to information, and gaps in family support.

KwaZulu-Natal premier, Thami Ntuli, urged communities to work together to address the scourge of teenage pregnancy.

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“While we celebrate the joy of these births, we must also reflect on the circumstances that bring about challenges like teenage pregnancies. It is our collective responsibility to educate, support, and empower our youth,” said Ntuli.

Teenage pregnancy concerns

The head of the KwaZulu-Natal department of health, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, said the department was working with the department of social development and South African Police Service (SAPS) to tackle teenage pregnancies in the province.

“We are worried as the department of health that the number of teenage pregnancies is increasing. We are also worried that most of these pregnancies happen between a teenager and someone much older,” Tshabalala told Newzroom Afrika.

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“Unfortunately, it comes with many other consequences for the girl herself, the newborn and other people involved.

“There is a high possibility of a caesarean birth because your pelvis is not ready to stomach or accept easy evacuation of a child.

“We are engaging with the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service on how to manage cases like these because this is not a Department of Health issue but a societal issue.”

‘Families involved’

However, teenage pregnancy issues were complicated to handle, said Tshabalala, as families are involved in some of these cases.

“In cases like today, you find that it was just young ones messing around and did not really appreciate the consequences of what they were doing. But when you find a teenager who has been impregnated by an older person, what we are discouraging is when she tells you that the families have spoken about it,” said Tshabalala.

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“There is nothing to talk about; this is something that is either incest or rape, so there is nothing to talk about.

“In some cases, the father of the child pays the necessary monies to the girl’s father, and this takes the case away from the police, as they can’t handle it without the involvement of the families.”