'Wales smallest baby' was born weighing just 11oz and has spent all her life in hospital. Robyn Chambers was born five months before her due date after mum Chantelle Chambers went into pre-term labour.
Being born so early, Robyn's mum and dad, Daniel, knew she would be so tiny, but it wasn't until doctors and nurses started commenting that they had never seen a baby born so small before, that they realised the true scale of it. "They said she was the smallest that had ever been born in that hospital," explained Daniel, 37.
"And it turns out she is the smallest baby born in Wales." Robyn was born at the Grange Hospital, and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board have confirmed she is the smallest baby born in Wales, weighing just 328 grams. She only narrowly missed out on being smallest baby ever born in the UK. That was baby Hannah who weighed 325 grams when she was born in Glasgow last year.
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Robyn, the couple's first child, was born at just 23 weeks plus two days gestation after mum Chanetlle, 34, experienced what is described as premature rupture of membranes when she was just 22 weeks. Dad Daniel explained at that point, the couple were holding out hope that Chantelle could carry the pregnancy a little bit longer as they were told at just 22 weeks Robyn would have no chance of survival. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here.
Talking about the weeks leading up to her birth, mum Chantelle said: "The pregnancy was plain sailing up until the 20 week anomaly scan when the problem was detected. We were told that my cervix was slightly opening and there was a risk of pre-term labour. My waters could break and I could go into spontaneous labour at any time.
"I was admitted into hospital that day and put onto bed rest. I stayed in the hospital for three weeks and two days before Robyn was born. She was given a small chance of survival.
"Robyn was born breach meaning her body was delivered before her head. A team of doctors got to work on her straight away. She was intubated and placed in a sandwich bag to keep her vital organs warm. She was so tiny and could fit in the palm of our hand."
The family from Newport were told Robyn may not make it and she was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe and she had several lines and cannulas to give her fluids and medicine. "They said her veins were as small as a piece of string, so it was incredibly hard for the doctors and nurses to work on her," Daniel explained.
She was placed under phototherapy lams for jaundice and her skin was so thin it was almost translucent. "Her tiny hands were the size of our fingernail," Chantelle added. It was a week before the parents were able to hold her. "They said it was really good for her to be held by us and touched, they said it will keep her going," Daniel added.
Over the next few weeks, Robyn developed sepsis, had 16 blood transfusions, countless infections, lumbar punctures and blood tests as well as several other monitoring tests and systems. "She was so small she could not wear any clothes until she was three months old, and even then they were too big on her. She struggle to gain weight and only made it to 1kg three months after she was born ."
She was eventually taken off breathing support which allowed her to undergo an MRI scan which shows she experienced hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth. This means she has severe brain damage and will likely have visual and mobility impairments.
"As parents we are totally devastated for Robyn," Chantelle said. "She has overcome so many obstacles in her short life already. She truly is a tiny warrior. However, we believe with the right therapies and treatment Robyn will have a chance of improving. She has already shown massive improvement over the last few months."
Robyn, who was born on March 8 (with a due date of July 3) now weighs almost 8lbs. "We have no date for when she can come home. We are spending 24 hours a day with her between us."
The family are waiting for her to be transferred to Noah's Ark Hospital at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales for further specialist treatment. Self-employed builder dad Daniel has had to give up work as the couple take it in turns to spend time with Robyn.
"We do 12 hour shifts each," he explained. "It is hard as we only get to see each other for two hours or so a day. But we have to be there for Robyn as she can stop breathing, they don't know whether she suffers with sleep apnoea, so we are waiting for that. We have to be there to bring her round as it is likely something we are going to have to learn to live with when we leave hospital."
The family are raising money to pay for the specialist treatment that Robyn will need when they eventually return home, as well as any adaptations their home may need and care. If you would like to make a donation to support the family you can do so here.
The treatment they are looking to fund includes physiotherapy and speech therapy. They also want to purchase specialist trikes and sitting equipment which will allow her to play and enjoy her life as any other child would.
Dad Daniel has set up an Instagram page, @robyns_rainbow_story, where he has shared Robyn's journey so far in order to raise awareness and help other families going through the same thing. They have commended the care they have received at the Grange Hospital. Chantelle added: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff involved in caring for Robyn at the Grange Hospital NICU department. We are so grateful to them for saving our baby."
