‘Tiny’ baby born before abortion limit now thriving at home

A baby girl born just 23 weeks into pregnancy has defied doctors’ expectations to be sent home happy and healthy.

Doctors said Edie Madoc-Jones’ survival chances were close to zero when her mum Nicola went into labour at 23 weeks and four days.

She was born weighing just over one pound, with her eyes still fused shut.

‘Tiny’

Nicola, from Cardiff, told Wales Online: “She was tiny, her eyes were still fused shut, her skin was translucent, and she was terribly bruised from delivery.

“They told us that she was extremely weak and that her odds weren’t good.”

Edie was immediately placed in intensive care, where she would remain for several weeks. At 73 days old, she was moved to a high dependency unit and eventually discharged from the hospital.

On Sunday 28 May, she reached her official due date – at 116 days old.

Survival

Survival stories such as Edie’s are increasingly common, thanks to advances in technology and neonatal care.

The trend has led pro-life groups to question the current abortion limit of 24 weeks and call for a lower threshold – a move supported by the British public.

Last month, a poll found that an overwhelming majority of women want the abortion limit lowered.

Lower limit

The poll, by group Where Do They Stand, showed that 70 per cent of women want the current time limit for abortion to be lowered.

Sixty per cent of respondents said the limit should be reduced to 20 weeks or below and 21 per cent said it should be lowered to 12 weeks.

Despite this public support for a lower limit the British Medical Association – Britain’s largest doctors’ union – has voted to campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion for any reason, up to 28 weeks.

Earlier this week, delegates at the BMA’s annual conference voted by around two-thirds to a third in favour of the change in stance.

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