A total of 299 babies were born in Bulgaria on December 31 2007 and January 1 2008.

On January 1, 172 babies were born. They were all potential winners of the prize Baby 2008. However, Baby 2008 became a girl born at 00.01am in the town of Pazardjik, today.bg said. The last baby for 2007 was also a girl, born in Varna at 11.30pm on December 31.

The national campaign Baby of the Year was held for the ninth time and organised by Bulgarian 9 Months magazine.

Antonia Grigorova, editor-in-chief of the magazine, said that there will be a special ceremony for the two babies on January 27, when the day of the midwifery was celebrated.

Culture Minister Stefan Danailov would become godfather of the Baby 2008. Bulgarian European commissioner Meglena Kouneva was godmother for Baby 2007.

Grigorova said that the trend of birth ratio increase continued, 78 592 babies were born in 2007, which was a 5.5 per cent increase compared to 2006.