Lowell — By 11:00 a.m. Sunday, the first day of 2023, two babies were born at Lowell General Hospital.
Lowell’s first baby for the new year was Lowell’s Junior Anderson, a girl who weighed 5 pounds and 13 1/2 ounces.
According to Anne-Marie Aquino, nurse manager for the maternal and child ward and nursing home at Lowell General Hospital, Jr.’s birth was one of the highest numbers of babies born in the hospital during the holidays.
“The last two weeks we’ve had a baby boom,” she said from inside her unit on New Year’s Day. “It was the most incredible thing.”
Statistics show that about 170 births, including 100, took place in hospitals in the last two weeks alone in December. His one day of those brought a total of 12 bundles of joy. Aquino describes this number simply as “significant.”
“Non-stop,” Aquino said. “I’m pretty full.”
Birth numbers over the past few years suggest that the coronavirus pandemic may have affected the number of births in hospitals. It is a sensible notion based on , pointing out that recessions and public health crises have historically been associated with declining births.
Before the pandemic hit, Aquino said Lowell General Hospital would have an average of 2,000 to 2,400 babies a year. Aquino said 2021 will see a marked decline, with about 1,700 babies born in Lowell.
Birth numbers for 2022 haven’t been counted yet, but Aquino expects it to be around 2,000 again, partly due to the holiday baby boom.
Follow Aaron Curtis on Twitter @aselahcurtis.
