One of Singapore’s youngest surviving babies is now 5 years old

The child was born in Singapore at 22 weeks old and is now a thriving five-year-old.

Chelsea Qiu, who weighed just 510g at birth, was hospitalized for more than five months before receiving nine more months of breathing support due to chronic lung disease.

However, at birth doctors gave her little hope of survival, although she overcame all the symptoms associated with prematurity, except for a small hole in her heart and being monitored.

‘wonderful’

Chelsea’s parents say she is an independent child who loves singing, drawing and dancing.

“She’s a very smart person, and when I come home from work tired, she covers me with a blanket,” said her father, Raymond.

Additionally, “We see no effects from the hole in her heart. She is still able to run around and participate in any activity depending on her mood.”

Katherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said: “Chelsea’s incredible journey from extremely premature birth and medical difficulties to now living without any major health issues is a testament to her resilience. Improving survival rates for premature babies is a constant reminder of how backward our abortion laws are.”

22 weeks

In the UK, abortion is legal for most reasons up to 24 weeks, and up to before birth for children deemed to have a disability.

A study last year found that the proportion of 22-week-old infants surviving after discharge from neonatal care facilities in England and Wales rose after services were expanded.

Researchers from the University of Leicester and Imperial College London analyzed the impact of the British Society of Perinatal Medicine’s 2019 guidance, which required doctors to treat babies born after 23 weeks of age, as well as those born after 22 weeks of age. It also recommended that babies be given “survival-focused care.”

Researchers found that among babies who were alive when their mothers gave birth at 22 weeks, the proportion who received care rose from 11.3% in 2018-2019 to 38.4% in 2020-21. Although the numbers remain small, the proportion discharged from neonatal care increased from 2.5 percent for her to 8.2 percent for his.