By Kabelo Abel Mokgalabone
POLOKWANE: The ever-increasing teenage pregnancies continue to be a cause for concern in the province.
This is as the Limpopo Department of Health kept track of the newborn babies that were delivered on the first day of 2023.
The province recorded 28 teenage Mothers who have birth on New Year’s Day, some from as young as just 14 years of age.
Here is a round-up of the new year’s babies born in different hospitals in the five Limpopo Districts.
1. Vhembe District- 14 boys + 23 girls = 37 babies.
5 Teenage mothers – 15 and 18 yrs from Malamulele Hospital
2. Sekhukhune District – 33 boys + 26 girls = 59 babies.
Mecklenburg Hospital delivered a 2, 9 kg girl at 00h01, and St Ritas delivered a 3kg boy at 00h08
10 Teenage Mothers, with a 16-year-old mother from Philadelphia Hospital.
3. Mopani District – 19 boys + 24 girls = 43 babies.
09 Teenager mothers- 15, 16 and 17 years old from Letaba Hospital.
4. Waterberg District – 10 boys + 17 girls = 27 babies
Mokopane Hospital delivered a baby girl at 00h12 weighing 3503g.
02 Teenage mothers, a 15-year-old mother from George Masebe Hospital and a 17-year-old mother from FH Odendaal Hospital.
5. Capricorn District – 12 boys + 15 girls = 27 babies.
2 Teenage mothers, with a 14-year-old mother from Mankweng Hospital.
Boys = 88
Girls = 105
TOTAL = 193
Teenage Mothers =28
In 2022 we delivered 215 babies = 107 boys and 108 girls, with 24 Teenage Mothers.
In 2023
We recorded 193 babies, less by 27 compared to 2022.
28 Teenage Mothers an increase of 4 compared to 24 in 2022, with the highest number(10) from Sekhukhune District.
Deliveries per District
1. Vhembe = 37
2. Sekhukhune = 59
3. Mopani = 43
4. Wateberg = 27
5. Capricorn = 27
