In a break from a long tradition, the North Bay Regional Hospital will no longer advise the media of the new year's first baby, but instead, it will be the responsibility of the parents to shoulder the task.
In the past, the hospital would get the parental permission and then issue a short news release, or the media would call and get the information directly from the hospital by phone, again with the parent's consent.
It's unlikely that parents, busy with a new child, will have media contacts available to them, or the time to organize a news release.
"One of the hospital’s most important responsibilities is to protect both the safety and privacy of our patients," the hospital advised in an email to local media. "For that reason, the decision to share the details of the first baby born at NBRHC in 2023 will be left to the discretion of the parent(s). The Health Centre will continue to celebrate and recognize the milestone internally, and parent(s) can contact the media directly should they wish to share their story; however, reporters will not be permitted in the Women and Children’s Unit."
To our knowledge, reporters have never gone to the hospital to cover a new year's baby birth. Parents have always had the right not to disclose the birth of a new year's baby.
A question to the NBRHC Communications Department asking how parents will have the information necessary to contact the media drew no response.
See related: It's a girl! Orillia welcomes first baby of 2023
And: It's a girl! Timmins first baby of 2023 has been born
In Sault Ste. Marie, it was revealed that Angelourd and Mark Ron Chio welcomed their new child, Aeron Marc Chio, at 3:31 a.m. on New Year’s Day at the Sault Area Hospital.
Weighing in at 3 kg (6 pounds, 7 ounces), Baby Aeron is officially the Sault’s New Year’s baby for 2023, which surprised the now mom of two.
“We’re very happy,” Angelourd said. “We definitely didn’t expect to have the first baby of the year.”
In Thunder Bay, the Regional Health Sciences Centre revealed that mother Kaya Beardy welcomed baby Bowtig Beardy at 1:04 a.m. on Jan. 1. Photos of the mother and the eight-pound boy were featured on our sister publication, TBNewswatch. The TBRHSC issued a news release advising that the mom and the baby were doing fine.
