Questions about first baby of the year at PMC

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - There has been some confusion over a local hospital announcing its first baby of the year.

Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello announced its first baby of the year was born Tuesday morning.

However, we've gotten a lot of feedback from viewers saying there was another baby born Monday via C-section.

We talked with the hospital about the requirements the labor and delivery unit has for a baby to be considered the first of the year.

"New Year's baby qualifications for 2022 would be an individual who had spontaneous labor. If it was a repeat C-section that arrived in labor, just somebody who is coming in that has had a C-section previous to this, and emergency C-section, so baby who is in distress, who would be to be delivered by C-section or a patient who delivers by the hospital ambulance parking lot but admitted to our unit for care. So any of those would be eligible," PMC Director of Marketing and Public Relations Mary Keating said.

Since the baby who was born Monday was a scheduled c-section, the hospital does not recognize it as the first born for the contest.

That's partially due in part to in years past, pregnant women would schedule their C-section for 12:01 a.m. New Year's Day, so their baby would have the title and the prizes.