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BIRTH
Exclusive Breastfeeding (Public Information)
This brochure provides information to mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of their babies lives. The pamphlet also answers to some of the tricky questions about breastfeeding.  > 
Registering the Birth of Your Child (Service)
You need to register your child within 30 days of its birth.  > 
Applying for a Birth Certificate (Service)
A birth certificate is issued when a child is registered with the State. It contains the details of the child and is required as proof of identity.  > 
Pregnancy Testing (Service)
Women and girls whose menstrual periods are one or more weeks late are advised to have a pregnancy test. These tests are free at primary health clinics and other health facilities. However, they are not always available. Pregnancy testing kits can be bought at a ...  > 
Antenatal (Pre-Birth) Health Services (Service)
Pregnant girls and women are referred to maternity services or Midwife Obstetric Units (MOUs) in urban areas, and satellite or fixed clinics in the rural areas. MOUs are birthing units run by midwives in the community for primary health care patients. It's advisable for expectant ...  > 
Birth/Labour Services (Service)
Mothers can deliver at fixed clinics or Midwife Obstetric units, which are run by midwives in the community for primary health care patients. If complications arise during birth then they will be transferred to a hospital up the line. Mothers who are HIV positive can ...  > 
Post Natal (After Birth) Health Care (Service)
Post natal services become available after the mother and her newborn have been discharged from the MOU or clinic. This usually happens six hours after the birth if both mother and baby are in good health.  > 
Human Genetic Services (Birth Defects) (Service)
It is estimated that 150 000 children born annually in South Africa are affected by a significant birth defect or genetic disorder by the age of five years.  > 
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention and Treatment (Service)
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS is the most common preventable form of intellectual disability in the world and yet it is a serious public health problem in the Western Cape.  > 
Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) (Service)
Mother to child transmission happens when HIV, the virus that causes Aids, is passed from a mother to her unborn baby during pregnancy, during birth or during breastfeeding.  > 
The content on this page was last updated on 8 May 2008
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