Premature babies are often affectionately called "warriors" or "fighters." And certainly they are, because despite arriving in the world early, they show a overwhelming force to live and get ahead. That is why he is known to little Emilio at the Maternal and Child Hospital of Malaga as "Emilín, el guerrero".
Emilio, who has turned nine months (chronological age), was born in week 23 of gestation and weighing 510 grams, standing at the limit of viability. But after 10 weeks in an incubator and four months hospitalized, this little warrior has come forward without sequelae.
A twin pregnancy that ended in week 23
As we can read in the Diario Sur, Rocío and Emilio had to go a very hard way until they reached their baby. After several in vitro fertilization treatments, the couple ended up achieving pregnancy naturally, but, unfortunately, their daughter died inside the womb in the 31st week of gestation, due to an infection in the heart.
By then, Rocío was diagnosed with a deep endometriosis and had to undergo an operation that lasted several hours and resulted in the removal of one of the tubes.
When she recovered, the woman underwent a new fertility treatment and became pregnant with twins, but after a few complicated months and in which she had to rest, at 22 weeks she went into labor and the doctors couldn't do anything to keep the babies longer.
Manuel and Emilio were born on January 31 in the 23rd week of gestation; a week that, according to the neonatologists, puts prematurity at the limit of viability. Sadly, three days later little Manuel passed away, so all hopes were placed on Emilio, who with only 510 grams and 28 cm began to fight with all his strength to get ahead.
In Babies and more The mother of a premature baby shares her daughter's incredible physical change three months after she was bornIn the ten weeks he remained in the incubator, little Emilio faced multiple obstacles, such as peritonitis and several very serious respiratory problems. But little by little he got over everything, and two months after his arrival in the world, mother and son could hug for the first time.
Thanks to the professional care of the entire medical team, after four months in the intensive care unit from the Maternal and Child Hospital of Malaga, Emilio was discharged. There he was nicknamed "Emilín, the warrior", because against all odds, the child has not only come forward but, for now, does not seem to present any kind of sequel derived from its prematurity.
Premature and large premature
Babies born before term are classified into two large groups: extreme premature or large premature, born before the 28th week of gestation, and premature, which are those born from week 29.
In Babies and more Premature babies, those little great heroesEvery year 15 million premature babies are born in the world, and every time the figures of those who manage to get ahead are higher thanks to professional care and medicine, which advances dramatically in this field of neonatology.
In Spain, one in every 13 babies comes to the world prematurely. The survival rate of those born before the 28th week of gestation is 65%, and 95% for those born later, placing our country in the world elite in this field.And it is that in Spain important achievements and advances have been achieved in the management of premature babies, reducing mortality and the great consequences of prematurity such as cerebral palsy or those related to severe sensory deficits.
Emilio's case (which has reminded us of that of another Malaga baby we echoed a year ago) would be framed within the great premature babies, and the gestational age he had at birth would be, according to experts, at the limit of the viability
But luckily, more and more news is coming from small fighters that still coming into the world ahead of time, they cling to life with strength and determination, giving us all a great lesson of hope that we always love to share.
Photos | iStock
