They should be treated exactly the same as all other children. If they are that concerned hold the eldest back a year. What about the rest of us who have children whose birthday's fall right next to the deadline, we also have a 'need to work' as does she but we have to get on with it!

katie, bristol, south glos

Jabs aren't to the day - especially not for pre-termers! Your surgery is more likely not to want to stick to schedule - my SCBU said make sure they did not delay with my twins.

Diana, derby, uk

There are calls for flexibility for all August born children as research shows starting school at 4 years and a few days which most areas insist on is not good news. Even up to GCSE results. All the best with the girls - things get easier when they're older!

Diana, derby, uk

Load of twaddle. All they have to do is send both children to school at the same time - when the 'younger' one has her birthday. Legally you do not have to send children to school until they are five and as the 'older' one will be at the end of the school holidays there is not an issue.

Denise B, Oldbury, UK

What were the midwives thinking??! The post-partum mother should be looked after and reassured, not made to worry about years-off events while still being stitched up. The damage a couple of thoughtless, gossipy women can do to new parents...highly irresponsible.

AnnieG, Cheltenham,

I am a proud father of twins. As others have said, there are many more things to be concerned about just now than schools! The council seem to have already put those fears to bed anyway with a practical and common sense approach.
Seperate birthdays will be easier than 2 parties on one day, as we do!

Neil, Loughton, England

It strikes me that the real issue here is the child's name. Amber is bad enough but Lexus? Have the parents forgotten she's a little girl, not a car?

But why on earth wouldn't the doctors fudge it anyway? Who would have known?

Helen, Fleet, UK

As a mother of twins I have to say I think they are making a bit of a meal of it.
Get the next 12 months out of the way. Once you've survived that everything else just happens!
As to injections, a load of tosh! Very few kids have them on the due date due to illness or lack of appointments.

Jan, Portsmouth, Uk

The poor wee souls. What's wrong with our society when, after a fairly dramatic birth, the parents' first worry is "when will they go to school?" How sad

jenny , feldkirchen, germany

Ever heard of the phrase "cross that bridge when you come to it?" Not much point in getting worked up about it now. A whole raft of things may have changed by the time the twins are due to start school. As for separate birthdays? Vive la difference!

Fred, Ash, United Kingdom

Do you want the easy solution?

Homeschool for the first year or two. (Or longer, like 12+ years.)

But, if you want to risk public schools, when you transfer them in, you transfer them in a their grade levels, and all the non-sense about birth dates goes away.

And fret not. No benefit in worrying.

Dan, Portland, United States

aww.. some people in this blog are so heartless!!im sure the school authorities will comprimise. i really hope you manage to get your beutiful twins girls in school in the same year!! my fingers are crossed for you :)

lisa h, nottingham, england

It sounds OK now. However, when the typical local authority jobsworths take over the case in a few years, I'm sure it will be different. My twin sons were born 3 minutes apart, yet my Chinese in laws insist on calling the first one "ko ko" (elder brother).

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

yes, read the quote from the council rep.

Joseph Howard, london,

Why is this even a story? What a waste of time even reading this...

Betty Childs, New York City,

Hmmm! Is there any room for compromise, good sense and common sense on the part of the school Authorities in all of this?

Garth Strong, Glendale Heights, USA