Medics hailed ‘heroes’ for saving 12-weeks premature baby who weighed just ONE POUND at birth

A COUPLE whose son weighed just over a pound after being born 12 weeks early have praised doctors for saving their baby.

Louise, 33, and Paul Rossall, 32, have expressed their thanks to the “amazing” staff at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital and the Freeman Hospital for their help throughout the difficult time.

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After a tough few months in and out of the hospital, baby George is now happy and healthy at six months old.

Medics delivered the tot by emergency C-section just 27 weeks into the pregnancy due to issues with the placenta, which was resisting blood flow and affecting George’s growth.

In an interview with the, new mum Louise told how everything was fine with the pregnancy up until 20 weeks, when doctors realised baby George was undersized, and Louise was struggling with high blood pressure.

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The bad news worsened when medics realised George’s heart rate was also abnormally slow, posing a risk to his life.

Hospital staff rushed Louise to an operating room after an ultrasound determined the tot weighed 500g – the minimum weight needed to survive outside the womb.

Mum Louise, who works for the NHS, told how she managed to call partner Paul before doctors delivered George via an emergency C-section, and he managed to get to the theatre to see his son’s birth.

She remembered: "I didn’t have time to panic, everything happened so quickly."

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Baby George weighed just one pound and three ounces when he was born, and doctors feared he wouldn’t make it to see the next day.

Louise said: "It was a military operation trying to hold him, he was wired up and attached to a ventilator.”

After making it through the nightmare emergency birth and the first few days, the young family were forced to relive their worst fears again when medics said the tot needed complex surgery to close a blood vessel in his chest which was moving blood and oxygen from his lungs and stopping his body functioning properly.

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Louise and Paul said they prepared themselves for the worst: "We said goodbye to him. We paced up and down the hospital waiting for him to come out of surgery.”

After a long wait, George was moved from the operating theatre to intensive care, where he was placed on a ventilator.

Amazingly, he was already trying to breathe on his own, just hours after the operation.

Louise said: "My mum always said me and Paul were stubborn. That must be where George gets it from."

The first time we saw him without tubes in his face was amazing. He is such a beautiful baby.

Louise

George went from strength to strength, and the hospital reduced the support he was on within three days – the surgery had been a success.

He was taken home when he reached 15 weeks of age, and now weighs a healthy 9lbs.

Louise said: "The first time we saw him without tubes in his face was amazing. He is such a beautiful baby.

“It was always horrible having to leave him, but we always knew he was in the right place.

"They saved our baby’s life. He is only here because of them. I can’t thank them enough.”

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The overjoyed dad will also compete in the London Marathon next year for charity Bliss, which works to provide care and support for premature and sick babies and their families.

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