Immediately after birth, the newborn was placed in skin-to-skin contact with his mother, marking a sacred bonding moment as mother and child shared warmth and heartbeat in the first minutes of life.

Still emotional after childbirth, the mother, Do Thi Minh from Hanoi, said all exhaustion seemed to fade when she heard her baby’s first cry. She expressed gratitude to the medical team for ensuring the safety of both mother and child, calling it an unforgettable moment of happiness.

Medical staff were on duty throughout Lunar New Year’s Eve, as is customary. At the time of the year’s transition, the hospital recorded a woman in labour and a cesarean section. Dr. Nguyen Van Thu, who assisted the midnight delivery, said this was the 10th time he had welcomed newborns at the stroke of midnight, adding that each occasion brought renewed excitement and shared joy with families.

At the same sacred moment, the first cry of another healthy newborn echoed at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi.

At 12:32 a.m., a 3-kilogram baby boy named Nguyen The Minh Khoi was delivered safely. Following delivery, the newborn was also placed on his mother’s chest for immediate skin-to-skin contact.

Associate Professor Vu Van Du, deputy director of the hospital, visited and extended congratulations and best wishes to the family.

Born at the exact transition between the old and new year, the infants became the first “citizens” of the Year of the Horse at their respective hospitals - a meaningful milestone not only for their families but also for medical staff quietly carrying out their duties during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Population study warns of severe shortage of marriage-age women in Vietnam

VOV.VN - Vietnam is projected to face a deficit of around 1.3 million women of marriageable age by 2049, a long-term consequence of decades of gender imbalance at birth, according to a new population forecast by the National Statistics Office.