by Teen Mum Gives Birth Weighs Over 500g To UK’s Smallest ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ Baby In 20 Years
A teenager has given birth to a ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ baby that is believed to be the smallest baby in 20 years. Ellie Paton, 17, gave birth to baby Hannah at just 25 weeks after having an ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. Hannah weighed just 325g (11oz) at birth and was only given a 20% chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠɪɴɢ, with Ellie and her parents being ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ that she might not make it through the night. Luckily, baby Hannah was strong enough to ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ by herself and is now thought to be the smallest baby to sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ after birth in the UK in the past two decades.
Ellie and her partner Brandon Stibbles, 21, were originally ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ at her 22-week sᴄᴀɴ that their baby was too small – Hannah was the size of a 16-week foetus. Ellie was also ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴘʀᴇ-ᴇᴄʟᴀᴍᴘsɪᴀ, and was rushed to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, on December 29 after she woke up with ᴇxᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ sᴛᴏᴍᴀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴇsᴛ ᴘᴀɪɴs. They were then transported to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where Hannah was born just after 1am on December 30. She has remained in the hospital since then. Both Ellie and Brandon said Hannah is ‘the best thing to ever happen’ to them. They can’t wait to take her home but they may not be able to until Hannah’s original due date of April 13. When Hannah weighs over 500g, she will be moved to Crosshouse Hospital. She has already gained 25g since birth but it might be another two months before she tips the scales.
Ellie said: ‘It was just scary all the time. I had gone in just for a sᴄᴀɴ and ended up with high ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ, they sent me to the QEUH and I was there for two days while my ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ sorted itself out. I went home and thought everything was OK, the next morning I woke up with ᴇxᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪɴ in my chest and stomach and had to go in the next day. They said I was going to be having a C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ but there was no plan, it could happen at any time.’
The new parents, who have been together for 18 months, are waiting until the moment they can finally hold baby Hannah.
‘We were told she had a 20% chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ, that she could need ʀᴇsᴜsᴄɪᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴏʀ ʙᴇ sᴛɪʟʟʙᴏʀɴ but when she came out she was ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ, she’s practically ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ on her own.’ she said
The smallest baby born in the UK before Hannah was Aaliyah Hart in 2003, who weighed 12oz. Ellie’s mum, Stacey Miller, has been a huge support to the couple since the birth, having been through her own ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ birth last year. Stacey gave birth to Ellie’s younger sister, Abbie-Beth Miller, at 28 weeks.
Brandon said: ‘Ellie’s mum went through the exact same thing. It’s not been easy but we’ve got a really strong support system, Ellie’s family have been an amazing support.’
Though doctors told Ellie and Brandon that babies that small don’t sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ, Brandon is pleased that his daughter has ‘excelled’ after being born. “We are hoping things stay the way she is, putting on weight and feeding well,’ he added. ‘We are both just really eager to be back in our own environment.’
And despite the harrowing story of their child’s birth, the couple says they wouldn’t have done anything differently: ‘Our whole life has just changed.’ They also praised the medics at QEUH, saying that they have been ‘absolutely brilliant’ and a massive help to Ellie and Hannah.
