KZN celebrates New Year’s babies amid concerns over teenage pregnancies
Four 16-year-olds, two 17-year-olds, and four 18-year-olds were among the mothers who gave birth on New Year’s Day in KwaZulu-Natal.
This was revealed by KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, who was speaking at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in uMlazi, Durban South, on Wednesday morning during the welcoming of babies born on New Year’s Day.
Without taking the spotlight away from New Year’s Day babies, Simelane focused on addressing teenage pregnancies and the need for open and honest dialogue.
Teenage pregnancies
Simelane said that while new lives were being celebrated, the number of New Year babies born to teenage mothers cannot be ignored.
“Our youngest mothers of New Year babies are four 16-year-old girls,” Simelane said.
One of the girls gave birth at Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital, in Nquthu, northern KZN, and she was impregnated by a 22-year-old man, while the other girls gave birth at Harry Gwala Regional Hospital (formerly known as Edendale) in Pietermaritzburg.
She said their babies were fathered by a 16-year-old boy; a 20-year-old man; and a 21-year-old man, respectively.
“We also have two 17-year-olds and four 18-year-olds who’ve given birth,” Simelane said.
She said that although the ages of the fathers were unknown, they knew one of the 17-year-olds who gave birth at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Durban, was impregnated by a 26-year-old man.
“Once again, we are alarmed by these revelations, because these girls were all about a year younger when they fell pregnant,” Simelane said.
“We are worried because when children or young girls fall pregnant, their lives are never the same.
“In fact, conceiving at an early age poses significant health risks for the young mother and her unborn baby.
“As the Social Cluster, we will need to intensify our efforts to deal with this scourge – in as much as this will require the involvement of other sectors,” Simelane stated.
New Year’s babies
As early as 7am, 45 babies were born in KZN Department of Health facilities on New Year’s Day. However, by 9.30am, the number had grown to 55; by 12.30pm, 63 babies had been born, and by 3pm, 117 babies had been born– 73 girls and 44 boys.
“Our first New Year’s baby is a bouncing baby boy who was delivered at Hlabisa Hospital (northern KZN) at five minutes past midnight (12.05am), followed by another boy, at seven minutes past midnight (12.07am),” Simelane said.
“These babies have a birth weight of 3.2kg and 2.7kg; and their mothers are aged 27 and 29 respectively.”
Simelane said Hlabisa Hospital had five New Year babies. At Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, four babies were born in the morning, three girls and a boy while St Mary’s Hospital in Mariannhill, Durban, welcomed seven babies, followed by Harry Gwala Regional Hospital, with six babies; and Newcastle Hospital, northern KZN, with five babies.
Simelane added that the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) is committed to ensuring the newborns get the best start in life by providing early birth registration to secure their legal identities; and facilitating registration for the child support grant for qualifying families.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za