Baby boy 'set for life of luck' after being born on 8.8.2008 weighing 8lb 8oz

Sarah Eells, 26, had been due to give birth on August 12 but son Corey had other ideas and emerged instead four days earlier.

His birth came on the day the Beijing Olympics were opened in spectacular fashion - the date picked because it is considered particularly lucky in China.

Lucky boy: Corey Munday was born on August 8 2008, weighing 8lb8oz

Its reputation has developed because the words for the number eight are ba in Mandarin and paat in Cantonese, which are similar to the words for prosperity.

Unlike the start of the Games, which kicked off at exactly 8.08pm to keep the theme going, Corey arrived in this world around an hour earlier.

His mother joked today: ''It was overwhelming when I had him. My friends thought it was a joke when I told them about all the eights. I should have hung on until 8pm.'

Corey's dad Ian Munday, 31, added that at least it would be easy to remember family celebrations.

He said: 'I was so concerned for Sarah it didn't register until someone mentioned the date. At least I will remember his birthday.'

The couple, from Plymouth, Devon, met two years ago at Specsavers where they work and eight even features in their address as the number on their front door is 18.

The date and time were specially picked for the Games in China in a bid to bring them luck.

Chinese tradition aside, numerologists say eight is known as the 'great balancer' or the karmic 'you reap what you sow'.