Welcome to the world! Meet the leap year babies born at Sunderland Royal Hospital

As that date only comes round every four years, girls and boys born on leap year day won’t have a birthday for another 1,461 days, but that didn’t mean there was any less delight at the hospital’s maternity wing when the little bundles of joy arrived on Saturday.

The hospital’s first leap year baby of 2020 to come into the world was Mollie. First time mam Chloe Cowell of Redhouse gave birth to the healthy baby girl at 7.16am weighing six pounds 15 ounces.

Holding her first grandchild, thrilled new grandma Helen Cowell said: “Chloe’s very tired. She’s had an epidural but everything’s fine and she’s really proud.

“It’s unusual to have a birthday on 29th February. You can come back in four years’ time and see how she’s doing and it will only be her first birthday!

“I’m absolutely over the moon. The baby’s really beautiful and I’m really proud of Chloe. Mollie’s got a seven year-old Uncle Charlie who’s really proud too!”

Chloe joked that her daughter’s four-year wait for each birthday would cost less money in birthday presents!

Later, at 9.09am, Robyn Mulinda of Seaham, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, Theo, who weighed seven pounds and eight ounces.

Robyn is also a first time mother, however, she has had a lot of experience with young children from her job as a nursery nurse.

Baby Theo arrived two weeks early so Robyn was quite surprised that her son was born on the leap year date.

She said: “I honestly don’t know. I’m shocked. He wasn’t due until the 14th of March. I don’t know what I’m going to do about his birthday. I think we’re going to go for 1st March to celebrate it.

“I’m fine, doing well and I am very happy, I am over the moon in fact.”

Babies born on February 29, 2020 will turn 16 on their actual birthday but will have to wait until March 1 to enjoy their first legal drink when they’ve turned 18. They will celebrate their 21st birthday when they are 84 years old – in 2104.