Nyasha Motsi — More than 200 babies were born on Christmas Day in the country's major hospitals in Harare, Bulawayo and Chitungwiza.

Sally Mugabe Central Hospital recorded 54 births, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals 42, while Chitungwiza Central Hospital recorded 24.

At United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), 26 children were born on Christmas Day, 13 boys and 13 girls while at Mpilo Central Hospital 20 babies were delivered, (13 girls) and seven boys.

The Christmas birth statistics for the major hospitals indicate a slight predominance of girls.

Sally Mugabe Central Hospital senior nursing officer Mrs Ruth Rukarwa confirmed that they received 54 live births and one loss.

"We had 54 live beds. Unfortunately, we missed one baby," Mrs Rukarwa said.

She added that, "from the 55 that we had, 28 were baby girls and 27 were baby boys".

"From the two delivery methods that we had last Christmas, the major was the normal vertex delivery with 45, where we say this is a normal delivery and nine deliveries were through Caesarean section," she said.

Mrs Rukarwa said among mothers who delivered their babies on Christmas Day were two teenagers who gave birth safely.

"We delivered three live babies from the teenagers, a boy and a girl from 17 year old mothers and a baby girl also from a 15-year-old mother."

The mothers who spoke to The Herald expressed their delight for giving birth on Christmas Day.

"I am very happy to give birth to my first-born daughter on the day that our Jesus Christ was born," Mrs Felistas Mbakureya, one of the mothers at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals said.

The City of Harare maternity clinics across the city recorded 50 births with 26 girls and 24 boys.

At the city clinics, the first Christmas baby was received at 0005 hours at Budiriro Polyclinic and a set of twin girls was delivered at Rujeko Polyclinic in Dzivarasekwa.