Premature Baby Survived Despite Being Born 48 Hours After The United Kingdom Abortion Time-Limit

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Victoria Bradley, a 37-year-old women, who gave birth to a premature baby in April, was told that her daughter would likely die as she weighed just 1lbs 6oz when she was born. The baby, whose feet were the size of a penny and was born two days after the abortion cut-off limit was saved by doctors, which would not have been the case if she was born 48 hours earlier.

The doctors would not have assisted in saving her life as infants born before the abortion limit are not deemed viable under the United Kingdom law, due to their known low survival rates. The survival rates are also low for children born preterm after the cut-off as their bodies are usually underdeveloped.

Bradley, from Liverpool, was even given keepsakes of her daughter's tiny footprints as she was not expected to survive, but now Francesca Bradley-Curran is thriving after her discharge from hospital just 17 weeks after being admitted. Nine months after birth, Francesca has survived meningitis, sepsis and two collapsed lungs.

Her mom is delighted to have her back home as she admitted that she never thought it was possible. She was only allowed to see her daughter for few hours after she was born before keeping her isolated in intensive care. Bradley said when Francesca was born, she still looked like a fetus, her skin was transparent, she had no eyelashes or eyebrows and her eyes were tightly closed, according to Daily Mail.

The doctors did not think she would survive as her blood was full of infections and has been described as a miracle after nine months, Bradley said. She was previously told that she would never be able to conceive due to ovary issues, she and her partner were surprised at the news that she was pregnant.

On April 22, following series of back and stomach pains at 24 weeks, she was taken to Liverpool Women's Hospital and the doctors told her she was in labor the next morning.  She gave birth naturally shortly after - two days past the limit. Francesca was placed on a life support machine, with a team of doctors and nurses battling to save her life. She took her first breath after 11 minutes. The little one underwent 15 blood transfusions and a laser eye surgery.  

She managed to come off the incubator after eight weeks, leaving the doctors baffled as to how she survived. Francesca was discharged after 17 weeks and now completely free of life supporting medications, wires and oxygen.

Currently abortions in the United Kingdom are only legal before 24 weeks of pregnancy as the fetus is deemed human after this period. However, abortions can still be carried out after this period under certain circumstances, especially if there is a risk to mother or child. The timing is also based on other factors such as the baby's viability after they are born.

Almost all the abortions in the United Kingdom are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy, but the Royal College of Midwives argued last year that women should be allowed to abort at any point in time without facing criminal sanctions, according to Brief Report. Critics believe that such a radical change in the law might lead women to abort pregnancy for the wrong reasons, including being the "wrong sex." The campaign was followed by the jailing of a 24-year-old woman who deliberately induced a miscarriage at eight months of pregnancy.

Doctors are not bound to intervene or struggle to save babies born before 24 weeks revive as they are not deemed viable, and a study conducted in 2006 suggests that only 19 percent of babies born at 23 weeks survived. The findings of the study have led many to argue that the limit should be reduced.