More newborns were recorded at Shenzhen hospitals during the first seven days of the Year of the Dog, a year generally regarded as one bringing good luck to the baby and its family.

The maternity departments of 60 hospitals in the city helped deliver about 1,500 babies in the past weeklong holiday. Some hospitals witnessed a 30 percent increase over the same period last year, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

The city's health center for women and children in Futian District recorded the largest number of births among the hospitals with a total of 178 newborn babies by Sunday, while Bao'an District witnessed 610, topping other city districts.

The city's first "dog baby" was delivered at 12:45 AM on the Chinese New Year's Day in the health center for women and children. The boy weighed 3.3 kilograms when he was born.

A nurse surnamed Wu with the center said they underestimated the baby boom during the holidays. In the center's history, the Spring Festival holiday has usually been a period with a comparatively low birth rate. It recorded an average of 20 newborns per day during the past Spring Festival holidays. However, this year's average was 30 percent higher than normal.

The report also said infant goods with puppy themes were selling well in the city's department stores.

(Shenzhen Daily February 7, 2006)