Twins' Daylight Saving Time Birth Results in Bizarre Age Twist

Baby Ronan was born after Samuel, but he is considered to be the older twin.

ByABC News
November 11, 2016, 2:08 PM

— -- Daylight Saving Time led to a rare time twist with the birth of twin boys in Massachusetts.

Emily and Seth Peterson of West Barnstable welcomed their sons in the early morning hours of Nov. 6 at Cape Cod Hospital.

Samuel was born 5 pounds, 13 ounces at 1:39 a.m., shortly before the 2 a.m. hour when clocks were turned back an hour.

Brother Ronan arrived at 5 pounds, 14 ounces 31 minutes later. Because he was born after the clocks fell back one hour, his official time of birth was declared 1:10 a.m. instead of 2:10 a.m.

So even though Ronan was born after Samuel, he is on paper at least the older twin.

"My husband was the first to say it, 'Here's a riddle for you!'" mom Emily Peterson, 32, told ABC News today. "It literally took me a day to wrap my head around it. I didn't realize it was quite that big of a deal until my nurse turned around and said 'I've been working here 40 years and haven't seen anything like that.'"

A representative at Cape Cod Hospital told ABC News that Ronan was not born until after the time changed at 2 a.m. Legally, they must give the actual time of birth, she said.

Michael K. Lauf, president and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare, told ABC News in a statement that "the Peterson twins' birth story was a remarkable occurrence" at the hospital.

"Our veteran maternity nurse, Deb Totten, said it was the first time she has seen it in more than 40 years of nursing," he said. "It’s a pleasure to have such a positive story at our hospital about a wonderful young couple who will have a great tale for their sons."

Samuel and Ronan Peterson have since joined big sister Aubrey, 2, at home with mom and dad.

"I personally think it's kind of cool that one's 'older' and one's born first," Peterson said. "Hopefully they're not going to be fighting over it for the rest of their lives."