Five babies were born on live television in the US on Tuesday, as the ABC network devoted its breakfast programme to Super Baby Tuesday.

The network's Good Morning America programme showed the births at hospitals in Dallas, Boston and Houston.

Tuesday was chosen because, statistically, that is when most babies are born in the US.

ABC has insisted the live births were not a stunt to boost the ratings of Good Morning America, which lag behind those of its NBC rival Today.

The first baby to be born was Kelsey Nolan, born at 0705 ET (1205 GMT) to parents Amy and Jim, at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She weighed in at seven pounds and six ounces.

Maternity season

Her arrival was followed by that of Francisco Gamez, born to mother Francisco 12 minutes later at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

Two more births followed within the next six minutes, and the final baby to emerge was Coraima Luna, born at 0831 ET (1331 GMT) in Dallas, to Eliamar and Julio.

The births came as part of a season about maternity trends in the 21st Century.

Publicising the event last week, Good Morning America executive producer Shelley Ross said: "It's something unique and exciting, and with all the human drama of the everyday miracle."

But cynics will point to the births coming in "sweeps" week, when ratings are used to determine advertising revenue.