Sir, - According to recent reports, Saturday, April 10th was the day to be conceived if you had aspirations to become the "Millennium Baby". Pharmacies report an increase in the sale of products relating to pregnancy (such as folic acid supplements) in recent weeks as couples vie for the dubious honour of creating the first baby of the year 2000.
As there is a 90 per cent chance that the first baby of the millennium will be born in the anonymity of a Third World country I find the hype surrounding this contest in the developing world elitist and offensive. If a baby is not born in a hospital and the media are not there to witness it, has it really happened?
For the sake of all those who place importance on this ridiculous and abhorrent competition I hope they get what they are expecting; a white, attractive baby without blemish or disability with equally attractive and photogenic parents. - Yours, etc., Caitlin Flanagan,
Brookville Avenue, Clareview, Limerick.