BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The Year of the Dog in 2006 is expected to produce a high birth rate for the third year running.

    The Beijing Maternity Hospital helped deliver 324 babies during the Spring Festival between Jan. 29 and Feb. 7 and more mothers have applied to deliver babies at the hospital in the first half of 2006, according to Wednesday's Beijing Morning Post.

    The number of babies born in the Spring Festival holiday in Beijing is about 30 percent more than during the same period in the last two years.

    A total of 10,117 babies were born in the hospital in 2005, the Year of the Rooster, 513 more than the previous year, the Year of the Monkey.

    Statistics show 727 women have registered to deliver babies in the Beijing Maternity Hospital in February, 913 in March, 820 in April and 750 in May. The figures are all higher than for the same periods in the past two years.

    The Beijing Maternity Hospital is one of the biggest maternity hospitals in the capital. Some experts believe that this indicates the start of another baby boom.

    The Chinese zodiac moves in a 12-year cycle named after animals, starting with the Year of the Rat and ending with the Year of the Pig. Enditem