Twin brother and sister, Mason and Evie, were born 12 weeks early on 8 September and their parents are excited that they could make it home in time for Christmas.
The babies were born at 27 weeks gestation at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital. Little Mason weighed 2lb 3oz – just less than a 1kg bag of sugar – and his sister 2lb 7oz, only a few ounces more.
Both babies were ventilated once they were born and Mason had further interventions, later needing heart surgery. In heartwarming news, the twins are now both breathing by themselves and, according to their mum Samantha, are “doing amazingly”.
Delaying delivery for as long as possible
As early as 19 weeks into her pregnancy, Mason and Evie’s mum, Samantha, was told that she may deliver at 22 weeks. To try to delay this for as long as possible and to give her babies the best chance of survival, she was told to rest in bed and was given medication to help.
At 25 weeks, Samantha was admitted to hospital after she lost some of her waters. Two weeks later, she had to deliver. Whilst Evie made a quick recovery and came off the ventilator within a week, Mason had to be taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for heart surgery. Fortunately, the surgery was successful and he was able to breathe by himself just three days after the surgery.
Best Christmas present: the twins could make it home
Evie and Mason’s due date would have only been the beginning of December. Despite their early arrival and difficult start in life, mum, Samantha, reports that they are “doing amazing, putting on weight and feeding well”.
She has high praise for the staff who have supported them on the journey and has even higher hopes that the twins could come home as the best Christmas present. She said “The team here have provided us with the best care and hopefully we will get them home in time for Christmas”.
Survival rates are constantly improving
In the decade to 2019 alone, the survival rate for extremely premature babies doubled, prompting new guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) that enables doctors to intervene to save premature babies from 22 weeks gestation.
Research published in November 2023 by academics at the University of Leicester and Imperial College London found the number of babies born at 22 weeks gestation who survive to discharge from hospital tripled between 2018-19, before the BAPM guidance was introduced, and 2020-21, after the BAPM guidance was introduced.
According to this research, there were a total of 261 babies born alive at 22 and 23 weeks, before the abortion limit, who survived to discharge from hospital in 2020 and 2021. This is compared to the Government abortion statistics, which show that in 2021 alone, there were 1,054 abortions for babies at 22 and 23 weeks gestation.
Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said “This heartwarming story is another example of the incredible medical advances that allow premature babies not just to survive, but to thrive”.
“We wish Evie, Mason, and their parents a very joyful first Christmas together”.
