World's most premature twins defy 'zero per cent survival' odds to celebrate first birthday
By Naomi White|
W?hen Shakina Rajendram thought her waters had broken just half an hour before her twins would have officially reached 22 weeks, she thought she'd lost them.
Having been told by Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, who specialise in premature births, that her twins could not be saved before this gestation, she was devastated that just a few minutes may decide her babies' fate.
Miraculously, it was found her waters had not broken. And when they did, just 15 minutes past the stroke of midnight, ?she was told doctors would try their hardest to save them.
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Although she was told they had a "zero per cent" chance of survival, she and husband Kevin held out hope.
?And their twins, daughter Adiah, born first weighing 330g and brother Adrial, born weighing 420g, defied the odds, despite being both the most premature and the lightest twins on record, according to the Guinness World Records.
And the pair have just marked a huge milestone, celebrating their first birthday.
But as the couple told the GWR, it was a hard won achievement for the twins.
The couple pushed back against doctors' advice that they should not resuscitate after birth.
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"We were told it would be a 'death sentence' for them and they would have many disabilities, but we insisted on the babies being given a chance to live," Shakina said.
"We were in shock."
After the pair were both successfully resuscitated, they each faced close to a six month stay in hospital, battling serious complications including brain bleeds and sepsis along the way.
"We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times," Shakina told the GWR.
After ?161 days they were able to bring Adiah home home, with Adrial joining her a week later.
"We finally got to bring them home - with no breathing or feeding tubes," she added.
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The twins are now doing well. Shakina said Adiah is meeting all the milestones for her corrected age (the age she would have been if born full term).
"She's an extremely happy and social baby, and smiles all day long," her proud mum shared. "She is very chatty and has 'conversations' with us and her toys for hours."?
While Adrial has faced a few more stints in hospital, he is also doing well and his parents described him as "observant, attentive, and intelligent."
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