What’s ‘surprising’ about this year’s ‘New Year’s Baby’ in Beaufort County

Beaufort County has no new residents in 2019... so far.

As of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, none of the three labor and delivery units at Beaufort County hospitals — Hilton Head Hospital, Beaufort Memorial Hospital or Coastal Carolina Hospital — reported delivering any babies on New Year’s Day.

A nurse at Beaufort Memorial said it was “surprising” for there not to be a “New Year’s Baby” yet.

Meanwhile, a nurse at Coastal Carolina said they were “still in the race” for the first child born in the new year in the county.

Hilton Head and Beaufort Memorial reported that there was no one in labor as of Tuesday afternoon, but a nurse at Coastal Carolina said she saw some “definite prospects” in her labor and delivery unit.

In previous years, newborns have unknowingly competed for the title of the first baby born in the new year.

In 2017, John Lance Barber- Kaczowka was born at Beaufort Memorial at 7:32 a.m. on Jan. 1. He was followed swiftly by Zanias Robinson across town at Coastal Carolina, who was born at 8:38 a.m.

There were two “Christmas babies” born in 2018 at Beaufort Memorial.

Tyra and Marcelino Elizondo of Beaufort welcomed baby Lettiana, who weighed 6 lbs., 5 oz., a few minutes after midnight on Dec. 25.

Later that day, Anabel Anaya and Reynaldo Baquedano of Bluffton met baby Jonathan, who weighed in at 6 lbs., 14 oz and was born at 4:50 p.m.

This story was originally published January 1, 2019 at 2:49 PM.