She wasn't due until Saturday, but Cara Bernhard decided to give her parents an extra happy New Year yesterday by arriving four days early.

She was born weighing seven pounds, ten ounces at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to the delight of mum Hilary Carr and dad Keith Bernhard.

Mother and child were doing well last night, according to Mr. Bernhard.

The 35-year-old told The Royal Gazette that his wife's water broke at home in Warwick just before midnight on New Year's Eve and the couple reached the hospital at 12.30 a.m. Cara, whose middle name is Hilary, arrived at 7.54 a.m.

Mr. Bernhard said: "She was due January 4. I hadn't really thought about her arriving on New Year's Day but how do you top that?! I guess it's a great gift for the New Year."

Mr. Bernhard, who is from South Africa and is director of internal audit at Max Capital, met his wife, also 35, in her home country of New Zealand. Cara is their first child.