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Mpumalanga leads in Christmas baby numbers

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Three babies have been delivered since midnight at Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga.

The provincial Health Department says 54 babies have been delivered at different hospitals.

Health MEC, Gillion Mashego, says 29 of them are girls while 25 are boys.

Mashego was at the Rob Ferreira Hospital where he welcomed four newborn babies.

“The first child in the province was born at 12:04 in Mmametlake Hospital and the second one was born at 12:05 in Tintswalo Hospital. The third baby was born in Dinswalo at 12:20 but I am told that up to now the hospital is leading with deliveries. We have 10 up to now from one Hospital which is the Tinswalo in Acornhoek. In the province the total up to now is 54.”

The stork has favoured the Western Cape this Christmas Day with at least 37 babies being born since midnight.

The very first baby boy was born at the Lentegeur District Hospital in Mitchell’s Plain.

He weighs just over three kilogrammes and is 56 centimetres tall. A total of 20 boys and 16 girls have been born so far.

Western Cape Health Department’s Simone Carelse says, “The Western Cape Government Health is proud to announce the birth of 36 Christmas babies for the province, 20 boys and 16 girls. The very first baby born in the province was at the Lentegeur Hospital. The second baby boy was born at Westfleur Hospital in Atlantis.”

At least 20 Christmas babies have been delivered in the Eastern Cape.

Hospitals in the OR Tambo District delivered more than eight babies since midnight the highest number in all districts so far.

Provincial Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo says most babies were born just after midnight, with the first being a girl.

“The first baby was delivered just after 12, at six minutes past 12, weighing 192 kg from Nelson Mandela Central Hospital in Mthatha. Up to so far the province has delivered more than 20 babies.”

Meanwhile, 50 babies have been born at various public hospitals in Limpopo since midnight.

Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has visited the Mankweng hospital outside Polokwane.

She has showered the Christmas babies with presents.

Ramathuba has encouraged the mothers to breastfeed their babies for at least six months to avoid illnesses.

“As I always say to mothers before, God make us pregnant, he gave us breasts which main purpose works as defence mechanism through breast milk that it produce am saying to mothers there six months breast feeding to make sure that you do not come in and out of hospital for six months.”

 

 

 

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