By DAVID GREENE
Photo courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals
The city’s public health system’s first baby of 2023 was welcomed at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health at midnight on January 1, 2023. Named Kingsley Mei, the baby weighs 6 pounds, 7.6 ounces and measures 19 inches. Kingsley was born to parents, Dexin and Holly. This is the first son of the couple from Brooklyn.
The city’s public health system delivers about 15,000 babies a year. Its 11 hospitals provide prenatal care, labor and delivery services, family planning, comprehensive gynecology, women’s health and primary care outpatient medical support for women at every stage of life.
Meanwhile, the city’s Health department announced that, once again, the most popular baby names for 2021 were Emma and Liam. As of 2016, Liam has been the number one name for boys since 2016 and Emma has been the number one name for girls since 2017. In total, 434 Emmas and 703 Liams were born in 2021, according to the certificate data of New York City birth.
“We are very pleased to welcome Liams, Emmas, Olivias, Noahs and every other newborn, to our city and to the world,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “The joy they bring will make for a happier 2023 and beyond.”
Resources for expectant parents
The Department of Health has a website to guide parents with completing legal documents related to their child, including birth certificates, acknowledgment of paternity for unmarried fathers and information for same-sex couples. For additional details, visit: Expectant parents.
Parents who need extra time to name their child for religious or other reasons can register their child’s birth without a name and come back to add their child’s name later. They can do this free of charge either through the DOHMH, within 60 days of the birth, or through the birth hospital within 12 months of the birth date. Once the name is added, it is final and requires a correction to change.
The Department of Health also provides information on free or low-cost services for new parents, ranging from pre-pregnancy health issues to providing resources for new parents to keep their children healthy. For more information, visit: Pregnancy and child care.
The Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics compiles lists of baby names from birth certificates and collects other data, including total births by year and demographic characteristics. To learn more about information collected from birth certificates, visit: Vital statistics
