The Florida baby that had been called the “youngest surviving preemie” has turned 1.
Amillia Taylor was born at 21 weeks 6 days weighing 10ozs in Miami Florida last year.
It was amazing that the baby was even resuscitated because:
The American Association of Pediatrics says that babies born at less than 23 weeks of age and 400g in weight are not considered viable. The survival rate for a child born at 23 weeks and weighing a pound is just 30 per cent.
She spent 4 months in the NICU and then was released to go home requiring oxygen.
In July, People Magazine ran an update article on her and at that time she was growing and thriving at home with her parents.
Last week, about a hundred family members, friends, doctors, nurses and physical caretakers gathered for a birthday party at Signature Gardens, where the miracle of her birth and the prayer-fueled, financially draining medical feat that has been the first year of her life were celebrated.
This last year has been challenging for the Taylor family. Amillia’s arrival put tremendous stress on them.
There were the daily doctor visits. Amillia had to be kept in extremely sanitary conditions and fed every four hours. The parents had to administer a dozen medications to the little girl daily. Because Amillia couldn’t be exposed to crowds, the family couldn’t attend church or social events. They were medically segregated.
And to top it all off, anti-abortion activists, convinced Amillia underscored the righteousness of their cause, showed up at their door at odd hours, sometimes from overseas, asking for pictures and testimonials.
Police officers had to patrol the area.
The family does not want their baby to be a poster child for anti-abortion websites like lifesitenews.com and prolifeblogs.com.
They just want her to be their daughter.
Although she is still a few pounds underweight, Amillia is healthy, down to one medication a day, Prevacid for her heartburn, and one doctors visit a month. She suffers from reflux.
In the last two weeks, she had a growth spurt, growing 2 ½ inches, her mom said.
On Saturday, she sprouted her first tooth.
In order to cope with the stress of being a preemie mom, Sonja Taylor has joined an online support group so that she can connect with other moms in her situation.
”We talk about everything from lactation to diaper changes to our own emotions,” said Taylor.
Like many preemie moms the Taylors worry about their daughter getting sick.
The medical appointments are early in the morning when other people are not around so Amillia is not exposed to germs.
”I always keep her covered,” she said. “We can’t ride in elevators with other people.
Last week, Amillia got clearance to be in crowds. On Sunday, the family will attend services at their church.
After reading how well Amilia Taylor has done, along with the many other babies I have covered that have arrived well before their due date, it is disheartening to read that:
UKs Health Minister Dawn Primarolo told MPs today that medical technology had not advanced enough to justify a reduction in the 24 week time limit for abortion because a baby born at that gestation still had little chance of surviving.
Our hospital has a survial rate of about 65% for babies that are born at 24 weeks gestation. How much better do they need?
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