'UK's most premature baby', born the size of her mum's hand, is now two and thriving

A baby that was born at just over 23 weeks weighing just 1lb 4oz is now thriving and has just celebrated her second birthday.

When Edie Madoc-Jones was born she was the size of her mum’s hand and was so premature her skin was still see-through.

Being delivered at just 23 weeks and four days gestation little Edie was the youngest baby ever to survive in the UK.

Doctors warned parents Nicola, 38, and David, 37, both civil servants, that their daughter probably not survive and if she did she could be severely disabled.

But having battled three bouts of sepsis, a brain bleed, a hole in her heart and pneumonia Edie is now a perfectly healthy two-year-old.

Now Nicola wants to offer a message of hope to other parents of severely premature babies.

"I know what it is like to give birth to a baby that medical teams do not believe is 'viable' - and I know the strength that is needed to be that baby's mum and to fight tooth and nail for them to survive,” Nicola says.

"I want other preemie baby parents to know that even a baby as tiny as mine can go on to live a happy, healthy life.

"The odds of survival are so low but miracles can happen.”

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Nicola, from Cardiff, had a normal pregnancy and didn't experience any complications while she was expecting Edie, her first baby.

But at 23 weeks, shortly before the legal abortion limit, she experienced a small bleed while going to the toilet and decided to ring the hospital as a precaution.

She said: "I told my husband Dave what had happened and he said don't panic. I was absolutely fine but decided to ring the hospital as a precaution.

"They told me to come in but I was quite relaxed,” she explains.

"We drove into the hospital and were talking on the way about what we were going to have for dinner.”

But when Nicola as examined she was told by a midwife that she was dilating.

"That was the beginning of hell really," she says.

READ MORE: Baby born without skin on almost his entire body defies doctors odds to survive

In an effort to make the pregnancy viable, and get Nicola over the 24 week mark, doctors battled to keep Edie in the mum-to-be’s womb as long as possible.

But Nicola had to be rushed into a delivery suite and gave birth soon after.

Doctors told the heartbroken couple that Edie had only a 20 per cent chance of survival.

In her first two weeks of life, Edie fought off a brain bleed, lung disease, collapsed lungs, pneumonia, sepsis, low platelets and haemoglobin and a hole in her heart.

After two weeks on life support, doctor's told her heartbroken parents that Edie had deteriorated and that her life support may need to be switched off.

Thankfully, however, the brave tot responded to steroids and was able to start breathing with less help from her ventilator.

And eventually after 109 days in hospital, Edie was able to go home.

“We were scared and apprehensive,” Nicola says.

"We'd spent the beginning of her life surrounded by monitors and doctors and nurses so we were a bit of our comfort zone taking her home."

But two years on from her dramatic birth, little Edie has defied the odds and has grown up without any health issues despite being nine centiles smaller than children her age.

Edie is believed to be the youngest premature baby to have been born and survived in the UK.

Last week the world's youngest baby ever to be born was revealed as Saybie from San Diego, California, at 23 weeks and three days, just a day's gestation less than Edie.

"The progress she has made is immeasurable,” Nicola says.

"Our life is normal but on a daily basis we're struck by how much she's overcome.

"She is an absolute character, she's one of a kind, she's very charismatic, she's incredibly funny and she's very head strong.

"She's still quite little for a two year old but she's got an attitude and she's stubborn.

"But it's those traits that have got her through.

"She's our miracle."