SINGAPORE - Baby Denzel Ng kept his mum and dad waiting.
First-time parents Noel Ng and Lam Nguyet Minh had checked in to the National University Hospital (NUH) on Dec 29, with Madam Lam 40 weeks pregnant.
Labour was induced but, a day later, their son was still not much closer to arriving. Worryingly, Madam Lam’s blood pressure also began to rise.
Her gynaecologist, Dr Sarah Li from the division of maternal foetal medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at NUH, said this put the mother at risk.
At 11:30pm on Dec 31, Madam Lam underwent a caesarean section, and Denzel was born at 12.02am on New Year’s Day, weighing 3.185kg.
Wiping away tears of relief, Madam Lam, a 34-year-old strata property manager at Savills, said: “I am very grateful to the NUH team. The C-section was unplanned, and I was very nervous.”
Mr Ng, 35, a senior assistant manager at NUH’s department of surgery, did not get to share his Dec 30 birthday with his son as he had hoped. But he had more important wishes for his first child, naming him Denzel, a name of English origin that means to be resilient and strong.
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He said: “My wish is for him to be healthy. And second, to maintain his relationships with his family and friends.
“If he can fulfil any aspirations and goals he sets out to achieve, I’ll be proud as a parent.”
Another New Year baby was born just after midnight at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to Mr Muhammad Nazirul Mohd Yunos and Ms Tia Esmeralda Daniel, both aged 31.
Their son, who weighed 3.187kg and is yet to be named, joins the couple’s two daughters, aged 10 and six.
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First-time parents welcome baby boy on New Year’s Day after two days of labour
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