A premature baby boy who was born at only 22 weeks’ gestation is celebrating a year at home after spending almost five months in hospital after his birth.
Baby Shane was born nearly four months early, weighing just 1lb 2oz, to mother Kim, who initially thought her pregnancy “felt normal”.
About three weeks after discovering that she was pregnant, Kim began to experience spotting and went to the hospital to find out more. Doctors ran tests on her, and while they could rule out an ectopic pregnancy, they could not discover where the blood was coming from. She was asked to go back to the hospital routinely for further tests, but the spotting ceased, and doctors were not able to determine its cause.
By January, the spotting had returned, and Kim went back to the hospital to get checked over. When she arrived, however, doctors informed her that she had gone into pre-term labour, almost four months before she was due to give birth.
“I was four centimetres dilated and was about to be admitted to the county hospital for pre-term labour”, Kim said, adding, “I was 21 weeks, 3 days pregnant at this time, still not feeling any aches, pains or discomfort”.
She was admitted to the hospital, recalling that her “emotions were high” during this time.
Kim and her doctors were unsure what the best course of action would be. They had considered a cervical cerclage, a way of keeping the cervix closed during pregnancy to prevent premature birth, but were unsure if this was feasible in this instance. Kim was also told she could deliver her baby early at the county hospital, but that they did not have the appropriate neonatal care infrastructure to look after such a premature infant.
However, thankfully she was informed that a nearby hospital did have the facilities to help, and she requested a transfer.
Kim was transferred the following day and was immediately admitted to the labour and delivery department.
“We felt calmer and at peace having arrived at UMMC knowing they were equipped and familiar with handling our set of circumstances”, Kim revealed.
Once she had reached 22 weeks’ gestation, Kim and her partner signed the relevant consent forms and got ready for the big moment.
“It was overwhelming and emotional, and trying to make the next best decision for your child and your family in that set of stressful circumstances was hard, to put it mildly”, they recalled.
Kim went into active labour on 18 January last year, “incredibly scared and uncertain of the unknown”, she said.
Most premature baby the hospital has ever delivered, doctor says
Kim was able to successfully deliver baby Shane. He was immediately intubated and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit for stabilisation. He was the most premature baby ever to have been born at that hospital.
“Shane wasn’t just born at 22 weeks, he was born at exactly 22 weeks, when every additional day of development matters”, Dr Dina El-Metwally, the chief of neonatology at the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital, said.
“He was extraordinarily tiny and vulnerable, but he was a fighter from the very beginning. And so were his parents, Kim and Josh. His remarkable progress reflects Shane’s resilience, his family’s strength and the dedication of the team that cared for him”, the doctor added.
In total, Shane spent 144 days in the NICU before being able to go home with his family, a milestone they described as both “exciting and scary”.
“We had six months to learn as much as possible and to prepare ourselves for this day, but nothing quite prepared us for the day when all the in-person support in the form of nurses and therapists disappears”, his parents stated.
Now, over a year on from his birth, Shane is thriving.
“He is an extremely happy baby and seems to find joy in each day”, his parents revealed, adding, “One of the many incredible gifts we’ve been able to witness is watching Shane and his older brother play and interact”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Baby Shane really is a fighter, and we are glad to hear that he is thriving at home with his family after such a long time in the hospital”.
“His strength and resilience are a testament to what premature babies are capable of”.
