Baby Born at 23 Weeks Doing Well Six Months Later

In 1983 my sister gave birth at 22 weeks. Her daughter weighed 1 pound 7 ounces. She was in the hospital for months and only given a 20% chance of surviving. Today she is a 26 year old college graduate with two children of her own.

Reply

I had my daughter when I was twenty three weeks pregnant in 1997! She weighed 14.3 ounces and was 11 inches long . She has cerebral palsy but is very healthy otherwise. She is truly a miracle to my family and we love her dearly! I thank God everyday that the doctors did evrything they could to save us both.

Reply

It's a good thing George Tiller isn't alive to see this.

Reply

I was born at 24 weeks, weighing just two pounds eleven ounces, in1962! Over 46 years ago. My mother didn't touch me until the day she brought me home at six months. Back then they didn't really know what to do with preemies that small. My parents were told several times to come in and say goodbye, that I wasn't going to make it. No health problems. I know I'm very lucky.

Reply

This baby was desperately wanted by the parents, that is what makes this so interesting. No one is forced to have an abortion, that is a choice between an woman (or girl) and her doctor - and God. Women have had abortions or tried to abort since they figured out how to attempt the procedure. Until abortion was legal women frequently died trying to prevent a birth. For Heavens sakes, if you don't want an abortion, don't have one. No one is forcing it on you. Leave choice to go through pregnancy and childbirth to the individual.

Reply

What MOST people spouting off about late term abortions is THIS: Late term abortions are done for MEDICALLY NESSESARY reasons. IT IS NOT done just because you got accidentally knocked up. People who chose to end a pregnancy late term have a very hard decision that they have to live with the rest of their lives. Either the mother is at risk for dying & therefore may not be there to take care of a family she already has, or the fetus is deformed & unable to live after birth. To continue a pregnancy on an emotional or religious level & not on a logical level leaves mothers to risk dying, & babies born that need torturous medical interventions until they die too. Or the baby lives permanently severly disabled, & has no quality of life. Not to even mention the extreme expenses this torture will cause, leaving families broken emotionally AND financially. People need to stop judging other people in this horrible situation, get their holier than thou heads out of their collective asses & face the REALITY of why there are late term abortion options. Taking that right away leads to the back alley abortions that were nesessary before women were given the RIGHT to chose, BUT I GUESS THAT'S WHAT RELIGIOUS NUTS WANT! When it was illegal religious zealots could pretend abortions & birth control didn't exist-,the hypocrites. Selfish, hypocrites. The baby in this article is a very lucky little girl, who didn't have tons of medical problems she was born with, that's why she survivied, along with amazing medical care. Comparing this baby with a non-viable fetus is NOT A VALID ARGUMENT AGAINST LTA, nor is it fair to compare the life of the mother needed by her family over a baby that may cause her death to this situation.

Reply

Well, we must remember Roe vs Wade...A women's right to choose
to have an abortion...Just think...a Human Life... that could be adopted!...But That's The current Law.

Reply

You all are undoubtedly the cream of society. However, some do not recognize the poignant way that some of the pro-lifers express themselves. "Daze" isn't pro-abortion. He was being sarcastic - as was I. When he said " a mass of cells ", he was describing how the bloodthirsty, venomous, narcissistic, murderous pro-abortionists feel about little innocent babies. John Stallworth

Reply

Let me first say that my comment is NOT about the baby- it is about the fact that this article was NATIONALLY news worthy.

I really do not understand why this is practically front page AOL News. This is a wonderful miracle and blessing to this baby's family however, it is hardly news worthy at a national level. 23 weekers survive everyday, the survival rate is around 40%. 24 weeks is considered viable at 50% survival rate. I've worked both in the NICU and Newborn Nursery and seen much younger babies survive. If it was a 17 weeker I would say "WOW" but 23 is HIGHLY viable and not surprising to have survived!

That being said, I've seen babies from every end of the spectrum both live and die. I have seen the death of MANY full term babies, 32 weekers, 28 weekers for all sorts of reasons! I've obivously seen 19-25 weekers die... but I've also seen most of them (that are 21+ weeks) live!

When a baby dies, it is devastating for everyone in the NICU, we grown to deal with the death and celebrate the life! It is very common for us to celebrate 21+ week old babies suriving! And we thank God for that! I am not only someone that works with these babies everyday... I've lived it! My baby was a NICU baby- so I understand both sides of what its like to have a baby in the NICU, both caring for it and being the parent- they are the longest days of your life!

Not to discount this family's miracle baby... my comment is NOT about the baby- it is indeed a miracle created by God, but it is about the fact that this was NATIONALLY news worthy.... they live everyday... this is an everyday miracle.

Then again, I understand that most people don't live this everyday and wouldn't know how common this is... so I guess maybe every once in a while we do need a reminder of "everyday miracles" to give us hope for tomorrow!

Reply

My children were both preemies the 1st in 1987 @29weeks and weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces and 18 inches long. He will be 22 in July and is 6ft tall, no learning or other disabilities and just passed the State realestate broker exam. My other child was born at 26 weeks and weighed 2 pounds, 4 ounces and 16 inches long. He is a healthy, happy 12 year old. He still requires some extra help at school but is catching up with his peers. He is almost 6 feet tall too. I was not aware I was in labor with the first until he was ready to come out. (Felt like indigestion). The next one my Dr. thought I was at risk of another early delivery so I had to take steroid injections to help develop his lungs. In both cases the NICU nurses and staff were excellent. They showed the most care and respect for each child there.

Reply

I am the mother of a micro preemie also. My only child was born at 25.5 weeks, 1lb 7ozs. 12.5 inches in length. I did not hold my beloved daughter in my arms until she was 57 days old! She spent 150 days in the NICU with the first 93 days in Level Three on various ventilators and the final 57 in level Two on a nasal canula. I can't begin to explain the rollercoaster of emotions that I have and continue to go through 9 years later. I have watched my daughter code on numerous occasions to marvel at her ability to fight her way back while in the hospital. She spent the first year of her life on a heart/breathing monitor and a nasal canula. I have a great team of doctors and therapists who have been truly angels that have helped us on this journey. I would do it all again in a heart beat to have my beautiful, inquisitive, viviacious daughter. There will be many steep mountains to climb, and there will be quite a few valleys when you are not sure of anything. Just keep in mind that as the parents you are there for a lifetime, not the medical professionals so the final and most important person on the team taking care of your child is you. The best we can ever as parents do is hope and pray that we raise happy, productive, healthy children that grow into adulthood maximizing their potential whatever it may be.

Reply

Being the Mom of a 23 weeker born at 1 pound 5 oz, I would like to let the family of this girl know that it only gets better. My son was hospitalized for 8 months, went through heart surgery at 1 pound 3 oz, had jaundice for 3 months and was vented for 6 months. We went through everything, and I am so absolutely blessed to be able to say that our lil man is now walking and hitting 24 pounds at 21 months.

It gets better, hell, it gets amazing!

Reply

I just had to add my comments concerning science and premature babies. My oldest grandson was diagnosed with spina bifida in utero at about 16-weeks gestation. In the past, this birth defect was commonly called water-on-the-brain, or hydrocephalus. Most children born with this condition did not live much past 10-12 years of age. My daughter and son-in-law had some tough choices to make in the next week or two afterwards, and they chose to undergo an experimental treatment on the fetus rather than 'letting nature take its course' or terminating the pregnancy. The experimental treatment was that my daughter would undergo a partial C-section, thereby giving the surgeons access to my grandson while he was still in the womb. They partially removed him (his rear end actually) from the womb, repaired the defect in his spinal column caused by the spina bifida, and returned him to the womb. He was the 126th fetus in this experimental program to undergo such a non-nature-take-its-course procedure. The ramifications of no surgery would have been severe mental retardation, paraplegia in both legs, and no control of bowel or bladder functions. Sixteen weeks post-surgery, we were all blessed with a normal, healthy, happy, laughing baby boy, even though he was four weeks pre-mature and had already undergone such radical surgery. Today, he is a class leader in second grade, and already knows he wants to be a doctor or research scientist. We all thank God every day for modern science, and I pray that my great-grandchildren will too.

Reply

Wow! After seeing that picture of the baby born 17 weeks early make me sad to know that our government makes LEGAL for Americans to kill innocent babies like her! She is full of life as are those that are murdered everyday.

Reply

maybe she shouldn't have been so desperately selfish for a child and adopted one. being a mom means a whole lot more than giving birth to your own flesh & blood.

Reply

I also had a daughter, Amelia who was born 16 weeks earlt at 24 weeks gestation, she weighed 1lb 7oz also. We of course were told she had a 50/50 chance of survival. After four LONG months in the NICU and 2 major surgeries she is a health and HAPPY 8 month old. She truly is a miracle and a blessing. Check her out on youtube from the beginning til now.. (search Amelia Logan)

Reply

I was born at 25 weeks in 1987 at 1 pound 13 ounces. The size of a small bag of sugar from the grocery store. I am now 5'10 and as healthy as can be. As a fellow premi I am so happy to hear that this little one is alive. I have always felt a certain connection to other premis because we can be unique depending on our circumstances. I too was considered a miracle baby at the time of my birth. So i say from one premi to another Congratulations Hawkins baby, you made it. I hope that you continue to do well.
And too your parents: it will be a harder road than you know but patience, perseverance, love and strength will see you through.

Reply

my son was born at 27 weeks. he weighed 2 lbs 1/2 oz.dhe was not so lucky and has alot of medical problems. i am blessed that he is here with us and we deal with all his problems as they come.

Reply

Almost 60 years ago, my mom didn't feel well and went to the doctor, she was 42 yrs old at the time. He told her she was entering Menopause and to relax, nothing wrong. A couple of weeks later, she felt movement and went back to the doctor and he gave her an internal exam and said, "You are four and a half months pregnant! A month and a half later, she went into labor and had a three pound baby boy. He was in an incubator for a month and had bolus feedings. He is now almost 60 years old and weighs over 200 lbs and has a daughter and two grandsons. And by the way folks, babies are babies no matter how big or small and fetuses are fetuses and that is like apples and oranges, OK????

Reply