Four-tunate few: Leap Day Babies Arrive at Vanderbilt Hospitals

Indy Rose Manning didn’t just arrive on her due date — she arrived on a day that comes around once every four years. Indy was born on Leap Day, making her a Leapling.

“We were definitely excited, but we knew it was pretty rare for a baby to be born on their actual due date, so we didn’t think it would actually happen,” said Indy’s mother, Emma Manning. “But we have been talking about how crazy it would be for birthday celebrations for her!”

When it’s not Leap Year, the Mannings plan to celebrate Indy’s birthday on the last day of February and will do a bigger celebration on Leap Year to “make her feel special.”

Indy, who joins three and a half-year-old brother Jag in the new Manning family of four, was one of 13 Leaplings born at Vanderbilt University Hospital, plus two at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital and one at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital. On her first day in the world, she wore her first gift: a “Leap Day Baby” onesie from Vanderbilt University Hospital.

“Every birthday is special, yet Leap Day birthdays are unique, and we wanted to create a keepsake for families to celebrate such a rare birthday,” said Stephanie Abbu, DNP, RN, CNML, REC-C, manager of Neonatal Services at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. “Some families come into the hospital excited to have a baby born on Leap Day and others are surprised, especially if they don’t know any other Leaplings. Our team is privileged to care for babies every day and love that 2024 gives us an extra day to do so.”