New Year’s babies make early debut at Las Vegas hospitals
The first babies of 2026 at two Las Vegas hospitals arrived just after the new year began, hospital officials said.
At Centennial Hills Hospital, JayR was born 19 seconds into the new year, according to a news release from the health care center. Parents Alejandra Sapien and Carlos Aguilera of Las Vegas welcomed JayR, who weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21.25 inches in length.
Sapien and Aguilera, who have been married for five years, described the past year as filled with many blessings. JayR also has a big sister named Kassie.
Summerlin Hospital’s first baby of 2026 arrived at 12:13 a.m., and was a few days earlier than expected. The baby boy, born to parents Edelin Olejua and Michael Chavarro of Las Vegas, weighed 7.5 pounds and measured 20 inches in length.
The release said that Olejua and Chavarro, who have been married for nine years, had not yet settled on a name and were waiting for the baby’s big sister to break the tie between two choices.
Other health care providers around the Las Vegas Valley touted New Year’s newborns, as well.
A spokesperson for University Medical Center said the hospital recorded its first birth of the new year at 6:07 a.m. Cassandra Jones, director of media relations for HCA Healthcare, which oversees the Sunrise Health System, said in an email Thursday that babies were delivered at three of its Las Vegas-area hospitals.
At Sunrise Children’s Hospital, the first baby of 2026 was born at 12:47 a.m., Jones said. Another baby, identified only as Kai, was born at 2:37 a.m., and another at 3:15 a.m., Jones added.
Kai arrived after 35 weeks gestation and measured 17.75 inches long and weighed 5 pounds and 7 ounces, Jones said.
A baby named Catalea was born at Mountain View Hospital at 3:19 a.m. and arrived at 20.5 inches long and was 7 pounds and 11 ounces, according to Jones.
Another baby, Isaac, was born at Southern Hills Hospital 3:21 a.m., Jones said, adding that Isaac was measured at 19.5 inches and weighed 7 pounds and 2.5 ounces.
Jones noted in her email that each family shared as much information as they were comfortable sharing. UMC did not provide additional details about the baby born there.
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