Premature babies bring Christmas joy in tough year

Remarkable science has saved the tiniest of premature babies and transformed their parents’ fears into joy. We reveal their emotional journeys.

The best Christmas present imaginable came in the form of baby Mia finally coming home after spending 97 days in hospital.

Despite the pandemic, Guilia Specchia was having a carefree first time pregnancy, but at 24 weeks she started having pains she thought were kidney stones. When she went to hospital for a check-up, doctors told her she was in fact in labour, four months too early.

“They said the baby is coming and I said ‘no, it’s too early, you’ve got the wrong person’. They gave me something to stop the labour and then gave me steroids which help the baby’s lungs develop, but 48 hours later she was born with an emergency caesarean because her heart stopped beating,” Ms Specchia said.

Babies born this early still have only a 50 to 60 per cent survival rate.

On August 13, Mia was born weighing a tiny 636g, and as is the case with babies born so early, their skin is so translucent, still permeable, that they are put in a plastic bag to keep in the warmth and fluids.

“I just saw my baby in a plastic bag and I thought they were discarding her, I was ‘my baby, my baby’ but she was OK,” she said.

Mia was born at 24 weeks and four days, weighing just 636g.

Mia began her journey through the minefield that is a premature birth. In the Royal Hospital for Women’s neonatal intensive care unit, she faced breathing challenges, she had a heart valve that needed to close and serious gut issues as her underdeveloped intestines tried to metabolise milk before they were fully formed.

“First, Mia showed us from the very beginning that she was a fighter and she had all intentions to beat the odds and come home as a healthy baby girl. I am so proud of her.”

Mia got all the complications, but managed to navigate those hurdles.

“Many of these conditions used to be fatal, or used to cause lifelong disabilities. Thanks to research advances, these conditions are no longer that scary. Mia had a hard journey, but she is now home, and she is thriving. The Royal delivered us a miracle,” the 33-year-old said.

Mia’s first cuddle with mum Guilia Specchia.

Now 3.2kg, you’d never know of Mia’s tough road and her parents, Raja Bellebon and Ms Specchia are eternally grateful to the staff at the RHW.

“During a period where everything is chaos and life looks grim, they managed to give us hope and saved Mia’s life. I will forever be grateful to all of them to have allowed Mia to become a healthy, happy, gorgeous baby girl,” the proud mum said.

“She is my best Christmas present, my little miracle.”

Giulia Specchia with Miracle Mia who was born at 24 weeks. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Giulia Specchia with baby Mia at their home in Maroubra. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Abigail and husband Ioannis Delakis knew they were having twins after their IVF cycle succeeded, and two embryos were implanted. But Theodore and Sophia to come into the world 12 weeks before their due date on November 10.

“My waters broke early so I was admitted to try and delay me going into labour, but my body went into labour the next morning and I started contractions, within two hours I was having an emergency caesarean,” Mrs Delakis, from Eastgardens, said.

“When they arrived I was very shocked. Little Sophia wasn’t breathing when she first came out, so that was scary.”

Abigail and Ioannis Delakis’ daughter Sophia weighed just 1200g at birth.

Theodore was just 970g and Sophia was 1200g. Survival rates for babies born at 28 weeks are now very good, and both babies did not need to be ventilated, instead they needed the less invasive Continuous Positive Air Pressure, or CPAP which keeps the lungs open to facilitate easier breathing.

Things were going well for both until Theodore suffered a malrotation in his bowel which led to a life threatening blockage. At 10 days of age, he needed emergency surgery to save his life.

“He had emergency surgery the same night in the NICU, the whole team came down and did the surgery there to stop having to transfer him and delaying everything. He had two sections of his bowel removed as it had died and during the surgery his liver started to bleed, which is the worst case scenario, which the surgeons warned us about,” she said.

Abigail and Ioannis Delakis with their twins Sophia (left) and Theodore (right) who were born at 28 weeks. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The next few days were touch and go.

“They told us with a baby so small they can’t stop the bleed, they put pressure on it and hope the body stops the bleeding themselves. They told us he was very, very sick and to be prepared for the worst but hope for the best,” she said.

“We thought we’d lost him, which was a terrible fear, but he went for a second surgery and the liver had stopped bleeding and they bowel they left behind was healthy so they reattached it and closed his tummy, we go so lucky and everyone was so surprised he did well.”

Inside the NICU Ward at Royal Hospital for Women Randwick. From left: Dr Sarah Tapawan and nurse Nada Ghazi. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Theodore is still recovering and has also battled infections requiring antibiotics. If all goes to plan, the babies can go home around their original due date on January 27.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs but now he is 1597g and Sophia is 1800g,” she said.

“It is a very stressful journey, we are exhausted and have never experienced anything like it.”

Christmas was spent in hospital with the babies, but there was no room for anything but joy and gratitude.

“It is not normal parenting, but I love it, I can’t wait to go in and see them every day, they are just so cute, so tiny and I love every minute of it, it is stressful, it is tough, but I love it.”

Soraya and Marc Duarte knew baby Mikael was a miracle from the time he was conceived with the help of IVF. Soraya was thrilled to be pregnant at 44 after trying for over a year.

Soraya Duarte and baby Mikaeel who was born 14 weeks premature.

Mikaeel Duarte has grown to 2.28kg. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

On the October long weekend, Mrs Duarte she went into early labour at 26 weeks.

“I just had some pain on the Saturday morning and it got worse in the evening and it was taking my breath away so I went to Carina Private to get checked and the next thing I knew I was in an ambulance off to the Royal.

“I was in denial and thought they’d just put me on bed rest to be honest for a few months but I hadn’t heard of a baby coming that early.”

Mikaeel Duarte was born 26 weeks premature and has spent close to three months in NICU. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Two days later Mikaeel was born weighing 995g.

“It’s a massive shock to a first time mum to see your baby like that, but I knew I was in good hands,” she said.

As with most babies born at this gestation, the lungs are not fully formed. They can collapse and babies like Mikael needed to be ventilated to survive. He needed four blood transfusions and it was a good six weeks before Mrs Duarte could even have her first skin to skin cuddle.

“It was very emotional, I couldn’t stop staring at him, he as so calm and relaxed when we are cuddling,” she said.

Mikaeel now weighs 2.28kg and he should head home in mid January.

“It’s unlike anything I have faced in my life, as hard as it has been I wouldn’t change this journey that I have been on, it has just been special,” she said.

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Originally published as Premature babies bring Christmas joy in tough year