A baby born at just 23 weeks whose tiny hand was the same size as her dad's fimngernail is now at home and thriving after 70 days on life-support. Little "miracle" Elsie, now 10-months-old, was born weighing just 1lb 1oz when she arrived 17 weeks early on June 17 last year.
Doting parents Katie and Rob Hampson's pregnancy had been fraught with worry after Katie suffered a heavy bleeding. The problem was diagnosed by doctors as a subchorionic hematoma, bleeding which occurs due to blood accumulating between the uterine wall and the outer foetal membrane - from the eighth week of her pregnancy.
Most subchorionic bleeds resolve on their own but for 27-year-old Katie the bleeding continued for 15 weeks until Elsie's premature birth at just 23 weeks. Doctors could do little to help Katie as they feared administering medication before her 16th week of pregnancy would affect her placenta and pose a risk to the baby.
