Gauteng welcomes 167 New Year babies including 3 sets of twins

Gauteng public hospitals have welcomed the birth of more than 160 babies since the start of the new year.

The provincial health department said 167 babies were delivered on Sunday between midnight and midday.

Eighty-eight of the newborns were males and 79 females. They included three sets of twins born at different hospitals.

On Sunday morning, Gauteng MEC for health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to welcome the newborn babies and celebrate with their parents.. 

She presented the 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.”

The department said academic hospitals delivered 15 babies - with seven born at Chris Hani Baragwanath and four at Dr George Mukhari.

Tertiary hospitals delivered 25 babies with Thembisa Hospital welcoming 20 newborns and Kalafong Hospital five.

“We are also encouraging them to exclusively breastfeed 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 their little ones are immunised at regular ages to protect them against diseases such as polio, hepatitis, measles and meningitis,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.

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