𝖴K Ѕ𝗂ѕtеrѕ Ѕеt 𝖶оrⅼԁ Rесоrԁ fоr Bе𝗂nɡ Bоrn Рrеmаturе аѕ Тr𝗂рⅼеtѕ

During her first ultrasound scan, Michaela White from Bristol, UK, found out she was 19 weeks pregnant. With three babies.

Then, just three weeks later, she gave birth to them.

Born 121 days early, at a gestational age of 22 weeks 5 days, Rubi-Rose, Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae Hopkins are the world’s most premature triplets.

Weighing a combined 1.28 kg (2.83 lb), they are also the lightest triplet birth ever.

The record-breaking Hopkins trio were born on 14 February 2021 and are now happy two-year-olds.

They are dizygotic triplets, meaning Rubi-Rose has a unique genetic makeup whilst Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae are identical twins.

“The whole journey between finding out that they were triplets and then actually being here was I think the quickest pregnancy I’ve ever known,” said the triplets’ father, Jason Hopkins.

“It was mental.”

For Michaela, the day her triplets were born was “very traumatic.”

“I was contracting but the baby wasn’t coming out,” she explained.

After spending a night in St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, she was transferred to nearby Southmead Hospital, where she went into labour.

Rubi-Rose was born first, at 10:33 a.m., weighing 467 g (1 lb).

She was swaddled in a polythene wrapping which acted as a makeshift womb, reducing heat loss and risk of hypothermia.

“She was in a little sack, bless her. She was so tiny. I was scared, obviously.” – Michaela

After Rubi-Rose’s birth, Michaela was rushed to the operating theatre for an emergency C-section.

Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae were delivered at 12:01 and 12:02 p.m. respectively, one and a half hours after their sister. Payton-Jane weighed 402 g (0.89 lb); Porscha-Mae was 415 g (0.91 oz).

Immediately after they were born, the triplets were placed into separate incubators.

Each baby was required to breathe independently for 10 seconds before the medical staff would intervene to provide oxygen.

The triplets survived those 10 critical seconds, however, the next 72 hours were equally critical. The doctors could make no assurances that the babies would survive this period.

“The first couple days, I was up there all the time with them because I was worried that one of them wouldn’t make it,” Michaela said.

Miraculously, all three babies survived all three days. Porscha-Mae suffered a brain bleed, however, she stayed strong and was successfully treated.

The triplets remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for several months; Rubi-Rose and Payton-Jane were cleared to leave in July, whereas Porscha-Mae stayed until October.

Whilst there, they were treated for various issues such as sepsis, jaundice, and respiratory difficulties.

“The NICU journey on its own […] it’s one of the hardest journeys you ever go through; to see your child there, helpless,” Jason said.

MRI scans were also conducted on the triplets, where white matter injuries were found in their brains. This can be a sign of cerebral palsy.

“I think Porscha had it worse,” Michaela revealed.

“Payton was just under Porscha with her cerebral palsy, and then Rubi-Rose was just very mild.”

Porscha-Mae and Payton-Jane both have mobility difficulties; they’re unable to sit or stand upright without assistance.

“They don’t physically move,” Michaela said. “We have to do literally everything for them.”

They are both fed through enteral nutrition, whereby a liquid food mixture is delivered directly into the stomach through a tube.

“They don’t recognize that they are being fed. They also don’t recognize when they’re full or when they’re hungry,” said Jason.

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