The dawn of a new year was celebrated across the Western Cape in a most heartwarming fashion, as public health facilities welcomed 28 babies into the world on 1 January 2026.
In an announcement by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, it was revealed that the first baby of the year, a baby boy, was born precisely at the stroke of midnight at Mowbray Maternity Hospital.
Weighing in at a healthy 3.8 kg, the little boy brought boundless joy to his mother, Geneva Claasen, and, no doubt, to extended family and friends eager to embrace the new bundle of joy.
As the clock turned, the blessings continued to flow. Just three minutes later, at 00:03, another boy made his entrance at Paarl Hospital, weighing 3.5 kg. The first girl of the year was born shortly after, at 01:38, at Stellenbosch Hospital, weighing 3.2 kg.
With 17 boys and 11 girls delivered in total, families throughout the province were gifted with the promise of new life and hope for the future.
The provincial government has taken the opportunity to remind parents of the crucial role that early healthcare plays in a child’s development.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, expressed the province’s commitment to nurturing these newborns as she stated, ‘As we step into a new year, we celebrate the first precious lives born in 2026. We are reminded that the earliest moments of life shape everything that follows. In the Western Cape, our focus is on giving every child a strong and healthy start through quality care, support, and skilled healthcare teams,’
Wenger emphasised that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, commencing from conception, are of utmost importance for their health and well-being.
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Picture: WCG
