In stark contrast, at least six babies were born in the early hours on the first day of Lunar New Year in 2024, which experts attributed to the “dragon year effect”.
As the clock struck midnight to usher in the Year of the Snake, a baby girl weighing 3.02kg was born at Union Hospital in Tai Wai to the Lee family, who welcomed their first child.
“I was very happy when [hospital staff] reported the time. It was a touching moment from the bottom of my heart, I felt very emotional when I laid my first glance upon her,” the new mother said on Wednesday.
“It’s because I’ve carried her within me for so long, I can finally witness her safe and smooth birth.”
The arrival of just one newborn in the early hours underscored the long-standing concern over Hong Kong’s low birth rate.
