Miracle of baby boy born full term despite his mother's waters breaking at just 16 WEEKS
By ANDREW LEVY
Last updated at 12:19 AM on 9th August 2011
When Laura Hill’s waters broke after only 16 weeks of pregnancy, doctors advised her to seek a termination.
Not only was her own health at risk but the baby had only a one per cent chance of survival. Even then he would probably have devastating problems such as brain damage.
But certain she had already felt his first kicks, Miss Hill defied the doctors’ advice.
Thrilled: Laura Hill's son Charlie was born on her own birthday. He had been given a one per cent chance of survival
‘I said one per cent is still a chance he could live and I didn’t want to give up on my baby,’ she said.
She gave birth to Charlie after a pregnancy that almost lasted a full term, and five months later he is in perfect health. ‘I was determined to hold on to him,’ said Miss Hill, 20, from Norwich. ‘I just wanted to keep him safe.’
Miss Hill, who lives with trainee mechanic Richard Folkard, 22, and their two-year-old daughter, Tillie, had a scan at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital after her waters broke.
‘I was told I was likely to go into labour within two weeks and that the baby only had a one per cent chance of survival and if he did survive there would be a chance of brain damage or lung deformities,’ she said.
Over the following weeks she had scans and blood tests twice a week while preparing for the worst by planning her unborn baby’s funeral.
Happy family: Charlie is enchanted with his big sister Tillie
At 21 weeks the tests revealed the membrane had resealed and by 24 weeks she was ‘amazed’ to be told it had completely filled up with amniotic fluid again.
Charlie was born weighing 7lb 3oz on her birthday – March 1. ‘He cried but it was a weak cry so I started panicking,’ she said. ‘But then the midwife told me “He’s perfectly normal. He’s your little miracle”.’
Mr Folkard said: ‘When I first saw his head and heard his first cry I thought, “We have got our little boy. He’s safe here with us”. I was so happy.’
Consultant obstetrician Alastair McKelvey said things had looked ‘bleak’ for Miss Hill as she was weeks away from a viable birth and the lack of amniotic fluid would normally prevent the foetus’s lungs from developing properly.
‘But, wonderfully, when the time came and Laura had a normal birth the baby’s breathing was completely normal. Whilst Laura’s story is not unique, it is the first I’ve seen in my career.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2023442/Miracle-baby-born-mothers-waters-break-half-way-pregnancy--refuses-abortion.html#ixzz1UXimrwSC
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