British twin boys who were born just one week before the UK’s legal abortion limit are now “thriving,” according to their parents.
Delivered at just 22 weeks and 6 days via an emergency cesarean section, Ruben and Jenson Powell were Britain’s youngest premature twins to survive birth.
It wasn’t without a fight, however. The infants were born weighing a mere 20.8 oz and 18.8 oz respectively, and suffered a whole host of health problems in their first few weeks, requiring treatment and even surgery.
“The boys had it all – infections, more than 20 blood transfusions, sepsis, pneumonia, eye injections and laser surgery, hernia reversal, you name it,” the boys’ father, Richard Powell told the Christian Institute.
Despite the odds stacked against them, this brave pair fought on and survived.
“Today, the boys are thriving,” Powell added.
Rich explained that the boys will “continue to have chronic lung disease until they are about three,” but “otherwise they are doing really well.”
Under the Abortion Act 1967, in the UK you can obtain a termination up until the 24th week of gestation as long as continuing the pregnancy is likely to involve injury to the physical or mental health of the mother. The abortion must also be signed off by two agreeing physicians.
The youngest premature twins to survive in the United States were also born at 22 weeks and six days. In 2017, USA Today reported that Kathryn and Jacob Stadler were healthy ten-year-olds.
“We’re extremely lucky,” their dad, Eric, said. “They are both doing fabulously. There are no issues at all anymore in regards to general health.”