BY LYNNISSHA BOKIVTAU RUNA – ISLES FREELANCER
A total of fifteen babies were born at the National Referral Hospital in just 24 hours on New Year’s Day, marking one of the busiest festive seasons in recent years.
Of the fifteen newborns, ten were delivered through normal vaginal birth, while five were born via Caesarean section. The babies included ten girls and five boys.
The number of births this year is more than double compared to last year’s New Year’s Eve, when only six babies were delivered. “The 2025 Christmas period and New Year’s Eve season is one of the busiest we’ve ever experienced,” said Ms. Doris Duddley, Labour Ward Nurse Manager at the National Referral Hospital (NRH).
She noted that the maternity ward was fuller than in any other Christmas and New Year period in the last five years. “In the past years, we usually had only ten or fewer births during the festive season, but this year the number climbed much higher,” she said.
On Christmas Day 2025, the hospital recorded sixteen births, compared to ten on Christmas Day in 2024. Last year’s New Year’s Eve saw only six babies, with an equal number of boys and girls. “But this year, fifteen babies were born in a single day, which is a very big number for us,” Ms. Duddley added.
She encouraged young mothers and families to consider family planning carefully to avoid the added stress of giving birth during the holiday season. “Please, mothers, plan your families well. Christmas can be a time of vulnerability for both the mother and the baby,” she said. “Especially for sick babies, the mother and child might receive less care and attention if fathers and family members are away celebrating.”
Ms. Duddley highlighted that the holiday period often competes with normal care routines. “During Christmas and New Year, family support can be limited because people are traveling or busy with their own celebrations,” she said. “As midwives, nurses, and doctors, our duty is to help mothers bring new life into the world. But newborns and their mothers need extra love, care, and support from their spouses and families.”
She added that December is generally not an ideal time to give birth due to the busy festive season. “I hope the New Year 2026 will be different for mothers and families,” Ms. Duddley said, before congratulating all the mothers who successfully delivered during the season. “I wish them and their newborns good health and a prosperous New Year,” she said.
Twenty-year-old Janet Kwai from Makira-Ulawa and North Malaita gave birth to her first baby, a girl, on New Year’s Day.
She described her daughter’s arrival as “a precious gift to mark the start of 2026.”
“Giving birth is scary, but still worth it,” Ms. Kwai said. “I thank God for the safe arrival of my baby.”
Meanwhile, the hospital has recorded a total of 74 babies born during the first week of 2026, from January 1 to January 7. This is slightly higher than previous years, which usually saw just under seventy births in the same period.
The busy start to 2026 shows a rising trend in births during the festive season, reflecting both the joy and challenges for families and hospital staff. For the new parents, the arrival of their babies marks a memorable beginning to the New Year.
