A Dozen Leap Year Babies Arrive at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Doctors and nurses at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center celebrated several rare Feb. 29 birthdays, helping 12 local mothers welcome 2024 leap year babies.

To celebrate their unique birthdays, the hospital adorned leap day babies with delightful frog caps, hand-knitted by a nurse in Shady Grove’s Birth Center.

One of the proud leap day moms, Kiara Beltran, and her husband, Pedro Cruz, from Silver Spring, had the privilege of welcoming their son, Enzo into the world, weighing in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Kiara’s family mentioned that she could have a leap day baby, but with a due date of March 3, they didn’t think it would happen. The parents plan to celebrate Enzo's birthday on Feb. 28 during non-leap years, as the number eight holds a special significance for their family.

Similarly, another leap day mom, McKenzie Knott from Damascus, welcomed her daughter, Autumn, weighing in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. McKenzie, who was due Feb. 27, considered the possibility that Autumn could arrive a bit later to claim her unique birthday. McKenzie plans to celebrate Autumn’s birthday on March 1 during non-leap years, marking the beginning of many cherished family traditions.

Shady Grove Medical Center is renowned for its exceptional maternity care, delivering approximately 4,500 babies each year. Its services include a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for premature and critically ill newborns; all board-certified lactation consultants; and Maryland’s first Milk Depot, where moms can safely access and donate excess breastmilk.