Surviving Wildly Immature Birth

"When I went into labour, the babies were denied all life-sustaining measures at the hospital I was admitted to and [were] almost left to die. We were in shock."

"We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times."

"We finally got to bring them home -- with no breathing or feeding tubes."

"[Adrial is] observant, attentive and intelligence [and[ he loves music."

"She's [Adiah] an extremely happy and social baby, and smiles all day long. She is very chatty and has 'conversations' with us and her toys for hours." 

Shakina Rajendram, Ontario mother of two premature babies

Her twins -- Shakina Rajendram was advised -- had a "zero percent" chance of survival at birth. They were born 126 days too early. She was told that medical intervention would take place only at 22 weeks, not an hour before; life-saving measures would be withheld. These babies were 18 weeks premature as opposed to 40 weeks for a full-term pregnancy.

Now a year old, both babies are recognized as the most premature twins ever recorded. Their mother went into labour at 21 weeks and five days. She was informed the babies were "not viable", warning the mother against resuscitating them even were they to reach 22 weeks before birth. Despite which mother Rajendram did her best to "hold the babies in", for another day to make it to 22 weeks.

Finally, her water broke a half-hour before midnight on March 4, 2022 at exactly 22 weeks. The hospital, nurses informed Shakina and her husband Kevin Nadarajah, could offer "comfort care" for solace; translated that meant the parents of these premature babies for whom no hope of survival was held out, could hold their babies while they slowly left life.

Between 23 and 25 weeks represents the gestation time that most hospitals are obligated to begin extraordinary measures to save premature babies. It was the couple's good fortune that they were able to move their babies to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, which specializes in resuscitating 22 week-old babies.

 

Guinness World Records

 

Only 27 percent of neo-natal babies who received intensive care survived, according to a 2021 report from the Canadian Neonatal Network. This couple's twins joined the ranks of the fortunate few even though their future looked grim. The babies, named Adrial and Adiah, were in hospital for six months. they both had extraordinarily thin and transparent skin and suffered complications with brain bleeding and sepsis and experienced problems managing fluids.

The parents were asked repeatedly to consider ceasing medical care, but they would not be persuaded to abandon their babies, spending 12 hours daily with the twins beside their cribs, holding hands and singing to them. 151 days later, Adah was released from hospital, and a week later, Adrial followed. Since then much progress had been made.

Adiah weighs 6 kg, 18 times her birth weight. Her brother has had infection bouts and respiratory issues, requiring oxygen support at home. He has outgrown his sister and is "progressing well". At one year old, the twins are regularly monitored by specialists who feel they re "doing great", outperforming expectations. Weighing in at 330 grams Adiah was born 23 minutes before her brother who weighed 420 grams. Their combined weight of 750 made them the lightest twins at birth ever to have survived.