More than a dozen babies were born on New Year’s Day yesterday at Taipei City hospitals, with one of the women giving birth to her second New Year’s baby.
Seven babies were welcomed at Taipei City Hospital’s Heping Fuyou Branch yesterday morning, and the hospital estimated that about 10 babies would be born on the first day of the year at that branch alone, with several babies also reported born at other branches and hospitals.
According to the lunar calendar, babies born yesterday were still in the Year of the Dragon – a year considered by many Taiwanese as lucky and favorable for having children.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Among the seven newborns born in the morning at the Heping Fuyou Branch, a man surnamed Chang (張) in his thirties became the father of a second son born on New Year’s Day.
Although both sons were delivered through Caesarean section, they did not intentionally choose the date. It was simply a coincidence, Chang said, adding that his family and relatives are excited about the news and that he will celebrate both of his sons’ birthday with a bigger cake in the coming years.
The first baby born at the branch was delivered by a woman surnamed Hong (洪), at about 4am, and although the baby boy arrived 12 days earlier to than expected, the mother said it was fine as the baby was born healthy.
The branch’s deputy superintendent Lin Chen-li (林陳立) said the ages of women who delivered New Years babies this year ranged between 34 and 36, which on average is slightly older than in previous years, showing a trend in delayed childbearing.
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