The nation’s first official baby of the New Year was born in the maternity ward of the Altagracia Maternity Hospital in Santo Domingo. The New Year’s baby came into this world at the stroke of midnight. His parents are a young couple from Azua. The father, Edwin Sanchez is 18 and the mother is Mairelys Mendez, 17. Edwin Javier is a healthy baby who weighs six pounds and 14 ounces. The young mother is the oldest of three children and is currently in the first year of high school. The father works in agriculture. There were about 40 births during the night of Monday December 31/ Tuesday January 1 at the Los Mina Maternity Hospital.