Premature New Zealand twins born at 23 weeks at Wellington Hospital
NZ Herald 29 November 2020
Family First Comment: “He and twin brother Riley were born at just 23 weeks and one day on March 3. It’s considered the edge of viability – babies born earlier are not usually resuscitated.”
No – life begins at conception. That’s biology.
When Declan Colquhoun was born, his aunt’s wedding ring would have fitted around his arm.
He and twin brother Riley were born at just 23 weeks and one day on March 3. It’s considered the edge of viability – babies born earlier are not usually resuscitated.
Declan weighed just 400g – a photo of him next to a pen shows just how tiny that is – while Riley was 530g.
Just over two weeks later, Riley lost his fight for life, while eight months on, Declan has this week moved out of Wellington Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and is getting stronger every day. He now weighs 7kg.
At 22 weeks pregnant, the twins’ mother Kathryn Hutchinson, 23, discovered she had high blood pressure while at a midwife appointment. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition affecting pregnant women, and doctors decided it was safer for her to have the babies.
They were delivered via caesarean. Their eyes still fused shut, they were put straight on ventilators, with Hutchinson and her partner Chris Colquhoun not able to hold their baby boys.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/premature-new-zealand-twins-born-at-23-weeks-at-wellington-hospital/RIRVKP7CSCCF3RSGJVS63SV6RM/#
