CORRINE Chow might have been born on Feb 29 this year, but she was delivered at 11.35am on Feb 28 instead.

Her parents, both doctors, decided to induce her birth to avoid her having a leap year birthday.

"We want her to have a regular birthday," said her father, Dr Jeremy Chow, 31, a cardiologist at Changi General Hospital.

Corrine, who was born in KK Women's and Children?s Hospital, weighed a healthy 2.6kg. A Sunday Times check revealed that the Chows were not the only parents who felt the same way, although there are risks to inducing births.

On average, there are about 120 births a day. But on Feb 29, 2004, the previous leap year, the figure was only 62. This year, there were 90 births on Leap Day.

Corrine's mother, Dr Chow Wai Leng, 31, said the baby had been expected early this month. But, two weeks ago, when she started getting slight contractions, her gynaecologist predicted that the birth might fall in the week of Feb 29.

"We decided not to take any chances and induced the birth," said Corrine's mother, a medical administrator at the Singapore General Hospital.

A leap year is one to which an additional day, Feb 29, is added, to synchronise the calendar year with the solar year. Most years that are divisible by four are leap years.

However there is an exception: Years that are divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. A leap year baby has to wait four years or sometimes eight years for his next birthday.

Said Corrine's father: "Although Feb 29 is a very special day, I feel that all kids look forward to birthdays. Having one only once in four years is quite sad."

His wife agreed, saying: "As a kid, she will be very confused, wondering why she doesn't have a birthday every year."

Korean-American couple Steve and Nancy Kim also gave Feb 29 a miss when it was time for their baby's birth.

Mrs Kim, 35, went for a caesarean last Thursday on the off chance that the baby, their fourth, might be due on Friday. Said the housewife: "When I was younger, I knew someone whose birthday fell on Feb 29. I felt that, as a child, it is very difficult to celebrate your birthday once every four years."

Baby Marcos Jisong Kim was born on Feb 28 at 9.45am at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, weighing 2.9kg. Dr Kek Lee Phin, who runs the Kek LP Clinic and Surgery for Women, said gynaecologists usually fielded more requests for induced births just before the Chinese New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival and Leap Day.

The induction of childbirth artificially or prematurely stimulates labour in a woman. Dr Kek is not in favour of the procedure. It can lead to complications and mothers tend to be more exhausted after an induced birth.

Complications include hyper-stimulation of the womb, uterine rupture and failure of induction. There are also parents who do not mind their babies arriving on Feb 29. Parents Wayne Chua, 22, and Evelyn Chua, 21, welcomed their first-born, Keida, at 12.35am that day.

Said Mrs Chua, who does logistics work as an expeditor: "I know that many parents were rushing to induce birth on Thursday, but I decided to let nature take its course. Besides, a leap year birthday makes my daughter very special."

For 91.3FM radio deejay Joe Augustin, 39, it is a case of celebrating two leap year birthdays. His wife Adele, 36 - or nine in leap years - and daughter Megan, 12 - or three in leap years - were both born on Feb 29. He has three other children.

Said Mr Augustin: "Every four years, we hold a big birthday party at Hard Rock Cafe for the two of them."

sameng@sph.com.sg