65 teenage mothers gave birth on New Year’s Day
Image: 123RF/ sam74100
The first day of 2022 saw 1,764 babies born at public healthcare facilities across the country.
Of these, SA recorded 65 teenage mothers between the ages of 13 and 19 years.
Health minister Joe Phaahla said the first baby born on New Year’s day was a girl delivered at midnight at Shongwe Hospital in Mpumalanga, by a 25-year-old mother.
Phaahla encouraged all mothers to consider exclusive breastfeeding for their babies for the first six months of life and ensure they get the necessary immunisations from birth.
“Babies need only milk feeds for the first six months of life. Milk continues to be an important source of nutrients to children after six months and therefore there is no need to put a time limit on feeds.”
A child’s health is most vulnerable during the first 1,000 days of their lives, and the right nutrition during this period can have a profound impact on a child’s ability to develop and learn, he said.
TimesLIVE