Read the inspirational stories of courage and fight for survival from these amazing premature babies born at 29 weeks gestation throughout Australia including advice from their parents.
Premmie Babies Name: Tamara
Gestation Born: 29+4 weeks
Weight When Born: 1635 grams
Length When Born: 30cm
Current Age: 17 months
Current Weight Now: 11kg
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Tamara has no ongoing health issues known at this stage
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Premmie Babies Name: Reuben
Gestation Born: 29+6 weeks
Weight When Born: 1450g
Length When Born:
Current Age: 22 months
Current Weight Now: 11.5kg
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Reuben is coming along slowly. He doesn’t have and major health issues. We are currently seeing a surgeon due to him having under developed scrotum, and he also needs to see an ENT surgeon due to having a retracted ear drum which requires his adnoids to be removed and possibly his tonsils. Our paed has also refered us to the Gait clinic for observation, as he has bowed legs. Reuben speech and motor skills are also slightly delayed, aside from all of the above he is a very happy little man.
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Premature Babies Name: Karli and Kallum
Gestation Born: 29 weeks
Weight When Born: 1340g and 1390g
Length When Born: 37cm and 39cm
Current Age: 14months birth age, 11 months corrected
Current Weight Now: 8.5kg each
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues:
Karli has no on going problems.. she is just a little slow with her fine motor skills.
Kallum on the other hand gets everything. He had his PDA liagated at 34weeks gestation.which will leave no ongoing problems, but we could have lost him as his PDA was grossly under estimated. they estimated 2.7mm but it was actually 7.5mm. He also has asthma and now is long sighted. which we are yet to conclude. His fine motor skills are developing within the average range.
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Premature Babies Name: Josh
Gestation Born: 29+5 weeks
Weight When Born: 1290 grams
Length When Born: 42 cms
Current Age: 3 years, 3 months
Current Weight Now: 15.2 kg
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: no ongoing issues, has seasonal asthma which doesn’t slow him down any!! no hearing or vision problems, motor skills all above average, speech and mobility also excellent for 3 years. no health issues known.
Advice From Parents: take each day one at a time, be honest about your expectations and don’t dwell on any negatives.
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Premature Babies Name: Oliver
Gestation Born: 29 weeks
Weight When Born: 1385 grams
Length When Born: 44cm
Current Age: 11.5 months
Current Weight Now: 9.5kgs
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Lowered immune system and poor lung function. This simply means we have to be careful for the first 3 years as a cold can lead very quickly to bronchiolitis and hospitalisation. His development and size are already within the normal range for his actual age.
Advice From Parents: Do not compare your child with others. They are unique.
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Premature Babies Name: Kale
Gestation Born: 29+3 days
Weight When Born: 1160 grams
Length When Born: 48cms
Current Age: 4 months
Current Weight Now: 3.7kg
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Kale is still requires oxygen as kale had and still has Chronic lung disease.
Advice From Parents: Stick in there it is the hardest time but you will eventually get there.
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Premature Babies Name: Zade and Hunter
Gestation Born: 29 weeks
Weight When Born: 1082g and 1108g
Length When Born: n/a
Current Age: 4 years 5 months
Current Weight Now: 14kg and 13kg
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Both Hunter and Zade have had no health issues since leaving the hospital. They have developed at a normal rate. Even though they are small for their age, they have big personalities to make up for it 
They are both looking forward to going to school next year.
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Premature Babies Name: Amelia Louise
Gestation Born: 29 weeks
Weight When Born: 825 grams
Length When Born: 33cms
Current Age: 17 months
Current Weight Now: 9kg (approx)
Babies Outlook/Ongoing Issues: Amelia was very small due to IUGR- as i had sevre pre-eclampsia and I did NOT even know we were both EXTREMELY ill. Apart from having laser surgery to correct grade 3 ROP, she has no- ongoing major health issues. She remains on the smaller side of the scale in both height and weight- she is very slow to gain weight despite the fact she eats like a horse and still has 6-7 bottles/day, But overall is a happy, healthy, bubbly and extremely bright little girl.
Advice From Parents: Allow your TINY WARRIOR to amaze you!!! Talk to other Premmie parents- DO NOT keep your feeling inside- we do get it!!!! and lastly celebrate very single milestone, from the first bottle/breastfeed, first bath to graduating from the NICU to SCN and finally making it home.
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