A COUPLE has celebrated the arrival of their ‘hugely special’ leap year baby.

Nicola Sanderson, a veterinary nurse from Barrow, said she was ‘delighted’ after baby girl Sophia Catherine was born on a leap year.

According to her parents, Sophia, who was born at seven pounds and nine ounces, was the only baby born at Furness General Hospital on Saturday.

She said: “It makes her birth that much more special.

“She was actually meant to be born on March 4 so it was a lovely surprise for her to be born on a leap year.

“We were really excited it was on such a special day which only happens once every four years.”

Miss Sanderson, who also has two other daughters, said the family plan on celebrating the unique birthday on March 1 every year.

“We’re going to celebrate the birthday on the day after every year,” she said.

“It’ll make the big day that much more special.”

Miss Sanderson said the staff at Furness General Hospital were all ‘ecstatic’ at the arrival of a leap year baby.

She said: “The nurses and staff were all celebrating it and said how fantastic it was.

“I can’t fault them, everything went smooth sailing.”

Miss Sanderson and partner John Millar’s two other daughters, Naomi and Krystal, are ‘over the moon’ with having another sister to the family household.

“It’s an absolute mad house at the moment with a house full of girls,” she said.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There’s no chance of any more. We’re definitely done now.”

Miss Sanderson said the family would let Sophia know how special her birthday is throughout her life.

“When she’s older, we’re going to tell her how special her birthday is,” she said.

“It’s definitely something we’ll talk about.”

According to statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 10,796 people in the UK have been born since 1995 on February 29.

This is an average of 1,788 per leap year, which ranks it the 243rd most common day to be born, in a given leap year.

The odds of being born on February 29 across the world are one in 1,461, or .068 per cent, making them a real minority, with only about five million Leaplings in the whole world.