The first baby of 2020 in metro Atlanta was born two minutes after midnight at Emory University Hospital Midtown.
The baby boy, named Hayden, wasn’t due until Jan. 18, but he was born at a healthy weight of 6 pounds, 13 ounces, said hospital spokeswoman Janet Christenbury.
“His parents were not expecting his early arrival,” Christenbury said. “They say it’s a great way to kick off the New Year, probably the best way!”
It didn’t take long for more children to arrive soon after the calendar turned to a fresh year.
At Northside Hospital Atlanta, which delivers more babies annually than any other hospital in the United States, a baby boy was born at 12:17 a.m. Seven minutes later, a baby girl was born at Northside Hospital Gwinnett.
>> A LOOK BACK | First Atlanta babies of 2019
About 16,000 babies were born at Northside Hospital Atlanta last year, said spokeswoman Katherine Watson. The parents of the newborn declined to release information about their son.
“It’s exciting to see who is going to be the first baby of the new year,” Watson said. “But it’s not more of a celebration than the second or third baby of the year or any other baby that’s born.”
Meanwhile in Marietta, a baby boy named Luke was born at 12:44 a.m. at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Luke weighed 6 pounds, 15.2 ounces.
As the first Wellstar baby of 2020, Luke received a literacy packet designed to provide children with early access to books. The new literacy program, called “Legacy of Love and Learning,” will be given to every baby born at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in 2020.
Doctors for Piedmont Healthcare delivered their first baby at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center at 3:11 a.m. Details weren’t immediately available.
Grady Hospital didn’t return messages Wednesday seeking information about their first babies of the year.
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