A BABY boy who was born at four minutes past midnight on New Year’s Day — five weeks prematurely — has finally been allowed home.

Little Ewan McCall was not due until February 7, but caused quite a stir by making an early appearance and becoming the first baby to be born at Royal Bolton Hospital in 2014.

Mum Kelly Hupton’s waters broke on Monday, December 30, but by New Year’s Eve, Ewan had still not made an appearance.

Kelly, who lives in Gadbury Fold, Atherton, with the baby’s father, Ricky McCall, said: “They told Ricky to go home because they were planning to discharge me the next day, but as soon as he left my contractions got stronger and stronger.

“The phone lines were blocked and the hospital couldn’t get through to Ricky to tell him to come back.

“We finally got through at quarter to midnight and Ricky just made it to the delivery room before Ewan was born.”

Ewan was a healthy 5lb 12oz, but caught a virus and spent 48 hours in an incubator. He fought off the virus and was about to be discharged when he developed jaundice.

“It was a devastating blow really,” said Kelly. “I was told three times I would be able to go home, and then I couldn’t.

“But the staff have been amazing and I want to say a big thank you to one midwife Sarah, who had to keep on giving me the bad news.

“They were all so great — and kept telling me not to worry.”