Patna, Nov. 11: Friday, 11.11.11, triggered a spate of births in the city. Several would-be parents today dashed to hospitals, requesting doctors to deliver their babies on a date that comes once in a century.

Several maternity clinics in the state capital saw couples making a beeline for the birth of their babies. At Shivam Clinic in Kankerbagh, as many as 17 women delivered babies today. Usually, two to three deliveries are registered in the hospital in a day.

Of the 17 babies born, 16 were induced deliveries. It means inducing labour pain using medication or other medical techniques.

Dr Sarika Roy of Shivam Clinic told The Telegraph: “These women and their husbands had approached us for delivery as they believed November 11, 2011 is a very special date. They were all happy, as their babies opened their eyes on a day that comes once in a century.”

Asked if it was ethically correct to conduct induced deliveries, she said: “As a doctor, I see no wrong in this. Induced childbirth is being practised across the globe. We go for it when expectant mothers request for delivery on a desired date around their due date. It is convenient for them as well as us. We do not want our patients to come to us writhing in pain. So, we often go for induced delivery, which is quite different from Caesarean section.”

A Caesarean section is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother’s abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more babies. Induced delivery does not involve incision.

Dr Manju Geeta Mishra, who runs MGM Hospital, said at least seven induced deliveries took place at her clinic today as parents insisted on birth of their babies on 11.11.11.

“They had all seen and read about the hype given to the date in the media. They thought it would be wonderful astrologically to have their babies born on this day. So, we allowed these deliveries at our hospital.”

Shrawan Sharma, who was nursing his wife at Sheeba Clinic, said he was too elated that their baby boy, Arav, was born today.

“The day I read about the Bachchans planning to choose the day for the birth of their baby, I decided to follow them because my wife’s due date was November 16. I am happy that my son was born on an auspicious day,” said Sharma, who works with a telecom major.

Not all doctors supported the idea of delivery on the desired date of patients. Dr Shanti H.B. Singh, who owns Shanti Clinic at Rajendra Nagar locality, said she turned down an expectant mother’s demand to deliver a baby today.

“This woman’s due date is November 29. She belongs to a well-to-do family and is educated. I was surprised at such an unreasonable request and refused it. We take a call on the delivery based on the mother’s and the foetus’s conditions and not on auspicious dates,” she said.