Triplets born one week before the legal abortion limit have set a world record for being the most premature and lightest at birth to survive.
Mother Emma Seaton shared how doctors were concerned that the triplets would not survive and if they did, there would be serious long-term mental health issues.
But two years on from their birth, the triplets are now thriving.
‘Positive outcome’
“It’s such a positive outcome for them after everything they have been through”, said Emma.
She said there is not a day when she does not “think about the fact that things could have been different”.
When she went into labour at 23 weeks, the prognosis was still unknown and Emma feared that the babies could have died.
Healthy
However, Alfie, Connor and Dylan all survived birth but weighed less than three pounds all together.
The triplets were each placed on ventilators with their likelihood of survival uncertain. Emma said it was a case of “watch, wait and see”.
She recalled: “All you can do is take it one day at a time but it’s very hard. You can’t touch them, they are surrounded by machines in their incubator and all you can do is look at them and urge them to be strong.”
Two years later, the triplets have surpassed all expectations. They are healthy and doing well at home in Hampshire.
‘Living proof’
Abortion is currently legal up to 24 weeks in Britain on a broad range of criteria, including if it is deemed that the expectant mother’s mental health would suffer as a result of having the baby.
Last month, a mum called for a change to the abortion limit after her son Ollie was born at 23 weeks and went on to defy all doctors’ expectations.
Deborah Jackson said: “He’s living proof a baby can survive being born at 23 weeks. Babies are dying unnecessarily and should get the chance to fight.”
“It is legal to abort a baby at the same stage as Ollie which distresses me greatly.”