4 Christmas babies at Sando General

Four mothers delivered healthy babies, two males and two females, on Christmas Day at the San Fernando General Hospital making the festive holiday even more special.

Syneill Cornwall, 26, who lives at St Mary's Village in Moruga, was the first to deliver at 12.22 am. Via Caesarean Section, she welcomed her first child, a boy. As she cuddled him on her hospital bed, Cornwall said he would be named Syon Jahseh Pitt. He weighed in at 3.19 kilogrammes. Cornwall, who is originally from Point Fortin, was due on January 10.

She said, "My great grandfather Clifton Blackett was also born on Christmas day. He died six years ago. We were very close. This (birth) is even more special because of that. The service in the hospital was great. I was not expecting it to be so nice."

Exactly three hours later at 3.22 am, Rio Claro resident Riana Ramnarine, 25, welcomed her second child, a girl. The newborn, who has not been named, weighed 2.41 kilogrammes. Riana has a one-and-a-half-year-old son. She too had an early delivery as she due in the first week of January. She said her newborn is the perfect Christmas gift.

Ramnarine said: "Once she is healthy, that is my blessing for the Christmas. All I wanted was a healthy baby and that is exactly what I got. In the family, we have people with birthdays on Christmas eve and boxing day. Now we have one on Christmas day." Hospital staff were busy as two minutes after Ramnarine delivered, Barrackpore resident

Amanda Singh-Mohan, 25, welcome her first son at 3.24 am. He weighed 3.45 kilogrammes. Singh-Mohan is also the mother of a 17-month-old girl. "Just having him gives me joy. I was due for Christmas. We (family) wanted a healthy baby with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Doctors and nurses went out of their way to make sure everyone was okay," Singh-Mohan said.

She intends to name him Aryan Russel Mohan Jr, after his father. Eight minutes later at 3.32 am, Carapichaima mother Alicia Whiskie, 36, welcomed her third child. The girl, who has not been named, weighed 3.38 kilogrammes. Whiskie said, "I was due on January 6. I love Christmas and really wanted to deliver her before that date."

The newborn’s father, Triston Williams, beamed with joy saying it had made the Christmas even more festive for him. Hospital officials said the Point Fortin Area Hospital had one birth, as of midday. They said at 4.30 am Coretta Fletcher delivered a girl who weighed 2.8 kilogrammes.