The parents of miracle baby Elsie Hampson are thanking their lucky stars that she is still alive today. According to Rob and Katie Hampson, doctors told them that after the premature birth, she had just a one in four chance of survival.
They told the Manchester Evening News that Elsie's tiny hand was the same size as her father's fingernail and weighed the same as a can of beans when she was born at just 23 weeks. She is a fighter, though, and after spending 70 days on life-support in the hospital, baby Elsie is finally back at home with her parents.
Katie and Rob are now sharing their inspirational story. The interview allowed them to thank once again all the doctors, nurses, and surgeons who were involved in their daughter's care.
Miracle baby Elsie Hampson weighs just one pound and one ounce at birth
The Hampsons described the medics as their "comfort blanket and support system" during their entire stay at the hospital. The family's ordeal started on June 17 last year, when Elsie was born 17 weeks early at the Royal Oldham Hospital. Elsie, who is now ten months old, weighed just one pound and one ounce at birth.
Katie's pregnancy had been fraught with uncertainty after she suffered heavy bleeding. Doctors diagnosed the problem as a subchorionic hematoma from the eighth week of her pregnancy.
According to My Health Alberta, a subchorionic hematoma is bleeding under one of the membranes (chorion) that surrounds the embryo inside the uterus. Blood accumulates between the uterine wall and the outer fetal membrane, resulting in the bleeding. It is a common cause of bleeding in early pregnancy.
Most subchorionic bleeds resolve on their own, but that was not the case for Katie. The bleeding continued for 15 weeks for the 27-year-old mother until she gave birth to Elsie prematurely. Doctors could do little to help the expecting mother. They feared administering medication before Katie's 16th week of pregnancy would affect her placenta and pose a risk to the unborn baby.
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Baby Elsie given just a 25 percent chance of survival
Doctors told Katie and her 32-year-old partner, Rob, a builder, that their daughter had just a one in four chance of survival after the natural birth. She has managed to beat the odds, with the tiny tot now weighing a healthy 13 pounds and six ounces.
Katie, who is a full-time mother-of-two, said that it was horrific because she did not know if she was going to lose Elsie or not. Katie added that she was living with the unknown, so she couldn't relax or enjoy her pregnancy, and even in the hospital, there was no guarantee Elsie would be alive.
Katie said that after she pushed her baby out, she sat on the bed and looked at her child and then was uncontrollably sick. Katie added that they are so proud of their daughter, telling Yahoo Life, "She's a little miracle, she's overcome so much and survived."
