Teen birth trend remains a concern for Health Department
|Published
Cape Town - The trend of teen births in the country has raised huge concern among the Health MECs of various provinces.
The country recorded 1 703 births on New Year’s Day, 190 being teen moms. The youngest recorded were two 14-year-old girls from KwaZuluNatal and the Eastern Cape.
This comes after a red flag was raised with 145 Christmas babies being born to teens across the country.
The National Health Department expressed concern about the increasing number of teen mothers and the potential to affect their future.
In the Western Cape, 10 out of the 253 New Year’s babies were recorded to have been delivered by teen moms.
The province’s Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo highlighted the importance of the roles of fathers in the babies’ development.
“As per the First Thousand Days approach, I wish to emphasise the role of fathers in raising healthy infants and young children.
“This period is recognised as a unique opportunity when the foundations for optimum health and development across the lifespan are established.
“The department encourages fathers to be involved in raising young children as much as possible, to foster good physical and mental development,” she said.
Mbombo also referred fathers to the department’s Road to Health booklet, where a number of health milestones are highlighted for dads to follow.
“We encourage parents to take note of the importance and impact the first 1 000 days has on a child’s life. In the next few years, we implore that children are given nutritious diets, that they are kept current with their immunisations, and that they enjoy a healthy and safe living environment.
“The department encourages all prospective moms to schedule early bookings and visit their closest clinics to make use of available antenatal care services in the first 20 weeks.
“Early intervention during pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life can result in significant gains in the long-term physical and cognitive development of a child.
“At some clinics we offer youth-friendly services, specifically aimed at the younger age patients,” she said.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla also reiterated the importance of support and reminded fathers and family members that it takes a village to raise a child.
His spokesperson, Foster Mohale, explained that the Department of Health, in collaboration with sister departments like Social Development, Basic Education and other stakeholders, including Higher Health, Love Life and Soul City, will intensify sexual and reproductive health awareness campaigns countrywide.
“Teen pregnancy is a societal problem which requires all hands on deck because some teenage mothers are likely to face critical social issues like poverty and poor education outcomes with potential to contribute to poor health issues and child welfare.
“This (awareness campaign) will target both school-going and out of school youth to empower them with health education and the dangers of early sexual debut, unprotected sex, and other risky sexual behaviours apart from teenage pregnancy,” Mohale said.