11oz Hannah is the UK’s ‘sassy’ smallest baby
Tot weighed less than can of soup
A TEENAGE mum has given birth to a girl believed to be the UK’s smallest premature baby.
Ellie Paton, 17, was warned tiny Hannah Stibbles might not survive due to her size after she had a caesarean at 25 weeks.
The tot, who weighed just 11oz at birth – less than a can of soup – is thought to be the smallest baby to survive in the UK.
She was born on December 30 after her parents were warned by medics “babies that small don’t survive” and she only had a 20% chance of survival.
However, Hannah was strong enough to breath by herself.
And nurses have called her “sassy” because she is always kicking off the bubble wrap she has been given to keep her warm in the incubator as it is lighter than a blanket.
RESUSCITATING
Hannah’s dad, 21-year-old Brandon Stibbles, said: “We were told she had a 20% chance of survival, that she could need resuscitating, or be stillborn but when she came out she was breathing, she’s practically breathing on her own.
“It’s been absolutely crazy, we got the first idea at a scan, the lady said to us, ‘You’ve got quite a small baby’.
“At 22 weeks she was the size of 16 weeks. It was quite terrifying.”
After the scan, Ellie was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, which causes dangerous high blood pressure.
On December 29 she woke up with excruciating stomach and chest pains and was rushed to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire.
She was sent to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and Hannah was born by emergency caesarean just after 1am.
The couple, who have been together nearly 18 months, had hoped to be able to hold Hannah by now but are living for that moment. Ellie said: “We are allowed to put our hands in the incubator.
I have held her once. She sleeps on a thing called ‘the nest’.
“When the nurse changed it I got to hold her up. It will be pretty soon we’re able to hold her.”
Brandon added: “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.
“I got to change her nappy. When I took my hand away from changing her nappy, she grabbed it.”
The couple, from Newmilns, East Ayrshire, have received “amazing support” from Ellie’s family, especially mum Stacey Miller, 36.
Last year, Stacey gave birth to Abbie-Beth who was 12 weeks premature and weighed less than 1lb 12oz. stephen.white@mirror.co.uk
@StephenWhite278