As the millennium countdown started late Friday night, some expectant mothers were competing to have their babies born at the first second of the Third Millennium.
Information available as of yesterday showed that five babies were born at exactly the first second of the new year, including three in Taipei, one in Linkou, Taipei County and the other one in Changhua County.
All five were born by Caesarian section.
PHOTO: LU CHUN-WEI, LIBERTY TIMES
In Taipei, the first minute of 2000 also saw the birth of another seven babies, statistics from the city's Bureau of Health showed.
Official data for the whole of Taiwan will only be available next week.
Unscientific as it may seem, the year and what it symbolizes is still a factor affecting some people's decision on childbirth.
Hsieh Tsang-tang (
This phenomenon is generally believed to be related to the traditional notion that the Year of the Tiger is inauspicious, he said.
As the year 2000 also coincides with the Year of the Dragon -- considered auspicious -- the birth rate is also expected to rise.
"Compared with last year, we have seen an increase in the number of women expecting to have children in the Year of the Dragon," Hsieh said.
The number will come back to 1998 figures or slightly higher this year, he said.
Doctors have advised expectant mothers not to seek ways to induce birth ahead of the due date unless it is intended to save the life of the mother or the infant.
Even if the expectant mothers favor a specific date, any appointment for operation can only be fixed if there are enough doctors to meet the demand, and if the fetus is mature enough, Hsieh said.
Hsieh said Caesarian birth is not recommended, especially for first-time mothers.
"Doctors always receive requests from expectant mothers to perform the operation because they want to lessen the pain during labor. In fact, if they go through the pain the first time, it won't be that tough for subsequent births," Hsieh said.
Ying Su-cheng (
Ying said he was just a little surprised that the day would be on the first of a new year.
"Based on the growth of the fetus and the condition of my wife, the doctors decided that the time was right," Ying said.
The mother, who is 44 now, is too old to go through natural childbirth, doctors said.
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