Low birth rate on first day of the year

Yesterday was an unusually quiet day for maternity wards around the island with only one baby being born by late afternoon.

Marvin Grech was born at Saint James Hospital, Zabbar, through an underwater birth at 9 a.m. He is the second child of Maria and Godwin Grech who also have a daughter, Mariah.

Staff at Saint James Hospital in Sliema were awaiting an imminent delivery as the afternoon wore on but at St Luke's Hospital there was a notable lack of the hustle and bustle that accompanies the birth of new babies. One baby was on the way.

By contrast, last year was a much busier day for maternity wards with 11 babies born by the time The Times had gone to print and another four on the way. Throughout the year, around 10 babies are born every day on average.

The last baby of 2006 was born at 11.10 p.m. on Sunday, the fifth child of Janette Zammit, who have another son and three daughters. Ms Zammit said she had not yet decided what she would name her new son but would probably settle for Estienne.

The baby, born a week early, was being treated at the Special Care Baby Unit.

Health Minister Louis Deguara, accompanied by his wife Maria and a number of hospital officials, visited mothers who had babies over the last few days and those expecting to give birth very soon.

Karen Zarb smiled as she received flowers from the minister and described the birth of her first baby Kleeven as the best thing that has ever happened to her. Patrick and Josephine Bartolo welcomed their first baby, Kylie, on Boxing Day, while Nathalie and James Marmara became the proud parents of identical twin girls Anthea and Mariah, their first children, on Friday.