Miracle babies born at 22-weeks now thriving

A mum has given birth to twins at 22 weeks and five days, just over a week before the abortion limit in the UK.

Parents Jade and Steve Crane suffered 11 years of trying to fall pregnant, including many rounds of IVF, an ectopic pregnancy and numerous heart-breaking miscarriages.

Jade was admitted to Queen’s Medical Centre where it was discovered her fetal membranes had ruptured at just 22 weeks.

The parents were told the twins were not considered to be viable at this early stage and that they were likely experiencing a miscarriage.

The facility Jade was admitted to is a teaching hospital, where doctors will medically intervene for babies born at 23 weeks to learn more about premature births. Jade said:

“I was 30 hours away from what they would class as viable… it was only because the babies were born with signs of life that they chose to intervene medically. They were alive, moving around, and they cried. Their little cries sounded like a tiny kitten.”

Now 13 weeks old, the twins have reached milestones that doctors said were unlikely and hope to leave the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in time for their original due date on 24 February.

Commenting on the story, a spokesperson for CARE said: “This incredible story is another reminder that developments in medical technologies means babies can survive outside the womb far earlier than was previously thought.

“It's thrilling to hear that the twins are doing so well and stories like this inevitably raise questions about the current abortion time limit. At the very least, there should be an honest debate about why our time limits are so high and double the European average.”

Photo credit: SWNS