Santa Claus has paid a visit to the tiniest patients being cared for in a Texas hospital.

Santa spread some festive cheer by visiting the tiny babies being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit and their families.

The special visit was arranged by First Memories Texas, a volunteer group that works with families of premature or critically ill children.

To greet Santa into the hospital, the little patients dressed up in matching Santa hats and coats. For some of these babies, this was the first time they had been dressed in clothes since birth.

Parents described how the festive visit brought them and their families a lot of joy during a difficult time.

One mum described how her son Wyatt is being cared for in the hospital over Christmas, and how the visit from Santa Claus has lifted their spirits.

The mum said: “The Santa visit reminded me of the holiday and how special it is to have Wyatt. It brought a lot of joy and so I was overwhelmed.”