Local newsNews
Christmas babies bring joy to families all over the country
Congratulations to the parents
Babies born on Christmas day always have a very special place in our celebrations on the day. Maternity wards in the Free State reported that 15 babies were born between 00:01 and 06:00 this morning (6 males and 9 females).
In the Free State province’s public health facilities, the maternity ward at Itomoheng District Hospital in Senekal delivered their first baby born on Christmas morning at 00:35 this morning.
The Department of Health joined parents and families in welcoming over 500 bundles of joy born as of midday on Christmas day.
Almost 40% of this number of babies were born in Gauteng health facilities, followed by KwaZulu-Natal facilities.
The department urged all mothers and caregivers to ensure their newborns remain up to date with immunizations. It is also important for parents to ensure that babies are registered for birth certificates within 30 days after birth to avoid late registrations.
To make it more convenient for parents to register their children within 30 days, the Department of Home Affairs has set up 161 offices at public hospitals and selected clinics as part of government`s efforts to promote early birth registration.
The department in partnership with various stakeholder in the health sector has launched the Side-by-Side campaign and the MomConnect initiative to support mothers to ensure that all children under the age of five years receive the nurturing care they need to survive and thrive.
