13 babies born on New Year’s Day

OF THE 13 babies born at major health institutions on New Year’s Day — a record eight were ushered into the world at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Five girls and three boys took their first breath and screamed aloud as they announced their presence at the Maternity Ward of the SFGH. Tobago welcomed three newborn babies at the Scarborough General Hospital while at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, two babies gave their parents reason to smile on New Year’s morning. Mother of three Melissa Hinds, 26, and her husband PC Vincent Hinds, were the proud parents of the first baby — a boy+born at the Labour Ward of the SFGH at 12.10 am. The eighth baby, born at 8.16 am to Karen Braxton, 19, was delivered two months prematurely and had to be placed in an incubator, according to hospital officials.

Responding to the high number of births, SFGH’s Medical Chief of Staff, Dr Austin Trinidade admitted that it was a large number but could not say whether the birth rate was the most ever recorded on New Year’s Day. Trinidade said usually the number of births ranged from four to five. “It was a very productive year this year,” Trinidade added. When Newsday visited the hospital yesterday the piercing cries of the adorable babies echoed through the Ante-Natal Ward, which was packed with tiny cots,  placed in front of their mothers’ beds. Mother of 11, Indrani Balliram, 43, of Gasparillo, said her pregnancy and yesterday’s birth came as a surprise to her. “I did not plan to get pregnant and my due date was on Boxing Day. I was expecting a Christmas child not a New Year’s baby,” she added.

The other mothers at SFGH were: Kaisha Marshall, 19, of New Grant, Asha Williams, 22, a proprietress, of Mc Bean,  Jenelle Mohammed and Sati Singh Jagdeo. Yesterday, Hinds was presented with a hamper from Cheekies and Huggies and also received a three-month supply of diapers from both companies. Over in Tobago, three proud first-time mothers gave birth to New Year’s babies at the Scarborough Regional Hospital. The first, a girl, arrived into the world at 1.22 am to a very shy Kimberly John, 21, of Mt Pelier, Scarborough and was followed at 4.15 am by a baby boy who was born to 34-year-old Pamela Scott of Plymouth. The third Tobago New Year’s babe — a girl — was said to be receiving special attention following a difficult delivery. None of the mothers in Tobago have yet named their precious bundles of joy. Port-of-Spain General Hospital had the distinction of recording the first baby for 2006 — adorable Johan Lumpris who entered the world at 12.01 am.