The provincial department said teenage pregnancy remains a huge concern.
"We are nevertheless concerned that the youngest among these mothers is a 16-year-old, who delivered at Niemeyer hospital [and] three 17-year-old girls, who gave birth at the Gen Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital, Church of Scotland and Mosvold hospitals," it said.
"Our coverage of the babies born on Christmas Day actually gives us a snapshot of what is happening every day in our healthcare facilities. What today’s stats are telling us is that girls are having sex at a very young age. We want to emphasise that this is not acceptable, because conceiving at such a young age can be very dangerous for both mother and child."
Meanwhile, the national health department also urged all mothers and caregivers to ensure their newborns remain up to date with immunisations as per the Road to Health booklet, also known as the clinic card, to protect them against life-threatening childhood diseases such as polio, measles and smallpox.
It also urged parents to ensure that babies are registered for birth certificates within 30 days after birth to avoid late registrations.
TimesLIVE
More than 500 babies born on Christmas, teenage pregnancy a concern
Image: Supplied/KZNDOH
By midday on Christmas, more than 500 bundles of joy had uttered their first cries in hospitals and clinics around the country.
National health spokesperson Foster Mohale said a healthy baby girl was delivered at midnight at Galeshewe Day Hospital in the Northern Cape.
This was followed by a baby boy delivered at 12.02am at Harry Gwala Regional Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, then babies at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital at 12.03am and West End community health centre at 12.04am, both in the Eastern Cape.
Almost 40% of the recorded births were in Gauteng health facilities, followed by KwaZulu-Natal facilities. In KZN, 48 boys and 50 girls were born by 5pm, including three sets of twins.
The busiest maternity wards were at Queen Nandi Memorial, Nkonjeni and Newcastle hospitals, where five babies each were born.
Reclaiming the spirit of the festive season
The provincial department said teenage pregnancy remains a huge concern.
"We are nevertheless concerned that the youngest among these mothers is a 16-year-old, who delivered at Niemeyer hospital [and] three 17-year-old girls, who gave birth at the Gen Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital, Church of Scotland and Mosvold hospitals," it said.
"Our coverage of the babies born on Christmas Day actually gives us a snapshot of what is happening every day in our healthcare facilities. What today’s stats are telling us is that girls are having sex at a very young age. We want to emphasise that this is not acceptable, because conceiving at such a young age can be very dangerous for both mother and child."
Meanwhile, the national health department also urged all mothers and caregivers to ensure their newborns remain up to date with immunisations as per the Road to Health booklet, also known as the clinic card, to protect them against life-threatening childhood diseases such as polio, measles and smallpox.
It also urged parents to ensure that babies are registered for birth certificates within 30 days after birth to avoid late registrations.
TimesLIVE
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