Ljubljana - The first newborn in Slovenia in the new year was a baby girl named Lila, who was delivered a minute after midnight in the Ljubljana maternity ward, weighing 2,710 grammes and measuring 50 centimetres.

Delivered about the same time was a baby girl in Maribor named Lina, who weighed 3,360 grammes and measured 51 centimetres.

President Borut Pahor congratulated the mothers of both baby girls, and wished the newborns to be happy, healthy and curious, the president's office said in a press release.

The first baby boy this year was born at 2:40am in Izola, named Lan, weighing 2,890 grammes and measuring 52 centimetres.

Andreja Trojner Bregar of the Ljubljana maternity ward told the press that Friday was less busy than an average day. In the entire 2021, a total of 5,440 children were born in the Ljubljana ward, which is somewhat more than in 2020.

While the number of newborns in Ljubljana increased last year, a slightly decreasing long-term trend is being recorded. Newborn boys outnumber newborn girls every year - last year there were 2,804 boys and 2,636 girls.