20/02/2007 6:57:00 PM




In this photo made in Oct. 2006 provided by Baptist Hospital, a healthcare worker holds Amillia Sonja Taylor. Taylor was just 9.5 inches (24.13 centimeters) long and weighed less than 10 ounces (284 grams) when she was born Oct. 24. She was delivered after just under 22 weeks of pregnancy; full-term births come after 37 to 40 weeks (AP Photo/Baptist Hospital via the Miami Herald).

MIAMI (AP) - A premature girl who is one of the world's shortest-term surviving babies will remain in a hospital a few extra days as a precaution, officials said Tuesday.

Amillia Sonja Taylor, born Oct. 24 after just under 22 weeks in the womb, had been expected to be sent home from Baptist Children's Hospital on Tuesday.
However, routine tests indicated she could have an infection, said Dr. Paul Fassbach, who has cared for the baby since shortly after she was born.

"She has been fine," Fassbach said, but doctors are being extra cautious "now that she's going into the world."

Doctors say Amillia is among the few babies known to have survived after a gestation of fewer than 22 weeks. She was just 9½ inches long and weighed less than 10 ounces when she was delivered by caesarean section. Full-term births come after 37 to 40 weeks.

Amillia, the first child for Eddie and Sonja Taylor of Homestead, now weighs 4½ pounds and is just over 15½ inches long.

She has suffered respiratory and digestive problems, as well as a mild brain hemorrhage, but doctors believe the health concerns will not have major long-term effects.

Amillia was conceived in vitro and has been in an incubator since birth. She will continue to receive a small amount of supplemental oxygen even after she goes home.

She was delivered because her mother was suffering from complications. Fassbach said that if doctors had known Amillia's real gestational age, they might not have intervened. He said he thought she was at least 23 weeks, and doctors were shocked when the Taylors' fertility specialist pinpointed the exact date of fertilization.

Fassbach cautioned against rushing to redefine the medical standards for fetus viability.

"We just don't know which 21-to 22-weekers are going to do well and which are not going to do well," he said. "I don't think we should change what we do, but it shows us we need to do more research and find out where our edge of viability is going to go."

Preterm births occur in about 12 per cent of all pregnancies in the United States, according to the National Institute of Health.


She is a miracle.

While a truly inspiring story, I don't believe in ridiculous, over the top, measures to force something into being or to keep someone alive when they really aren't supposed to. If people want to use this as a benchmark for any agenda, they need to insure that the cost is not an issue for anyone who wants to pursue it, i.e. the poor have just as much claim to these ridiculous measures as the rich do.

wow...
i saw that on the news this morning...she's coming along very well, so precious...

Ok wait. She was born only halfway through the gestation period but they were going to send her home after a few days!? I must not be understanding this story correctly. I was born 3 weeks premature and spent about that much time in the hospital before I could be released I wonder what these complications were that they had to remove her from the womb...

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[Edited 2/21/07 12:00pm]

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

ok granted...
but you really think they're doing this for publicity or for a benchmark? it's their first child...
i understand the need to be skeptics today...but damn, cut them some slack..

SammiJ said:

Them, no. Will anti abortion fanatics use this as the end all be all. Yes.

SammiJ said:

I don't think Richard's comments were directed at the family or the doctors in question.

FunkMistress said:

ok, well that's how i read it and was kinda shocked
but i get it now...

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

geez richard, this is GD, not P&R this story isn't about trying to change abortion laws, it's a miracle of a child- not a political soapbox.


anyways, beautiful. and so tiny, so precious.

fantasyislander said:

You are so naive Watch how this shit blows up into the biggest propaganda tool those nutcases will ever have.

I think this is a wonderful story and amazing on it's face. If we are going to give into the gloriousness that is the success of this story then everyone I mean EVERYONE should have the ability to take these heroic measures to insure the life of thier child. People will claim that money should never be an issue when considering whether or not to bring a child into the world but guess what folks, IT AINT FREE and those same jackoffs should insure that no matter a persons social or economic status that everyone has equal access to do something like this if they chose to do so. You think everything about this is free and at no cost?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

clearly i dont think she'd think that, she has a daughter of her own...
i dunno, i think you're taking this on another level...

SammiJ said:

I'm taking it where it already is the very moment this was reported. It's wonderful and beautiful, jack off to it for all I care. Great, wonderful. Besides, it will be fun to watch Luv have to move one of her own threads

fantasyislander said:

Supa is GDLivinPR, don't you know that?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Uhuh, ok.

SammiJ said:

Sammi, don't get upset. It is impossible to even look at this through any other lens. You don't have the same kind of fanatics who want to run people's lives, we do. It is totally relevant to this story and I will not shy aways from it. Besides, people think I'm a baby killer but go to this thread to see how much I really love babies!

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/217965


[Edited 2/21/07 12:17pm]

nah it's ok, i'm bowing out of this one.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

yes richard, i think all health care for children is free, and raising them is a snap.

i'm saying that luv posted this in GD, not P&R. if you want to turn it into a political discussion then start your own damn thread. if you're not going to be happy for this miracle baby then i suggest you just stay off this friggin thread.

fantasyislander said:

I wasn't saying that you had the notion that it was free to raise kids. Of course you know that shit aint free

I have a great deal of respect for you raising a daughter on your own. It isn't easy and I applaud the fact you are doing that. However I was speaking to a broader point of people who don't give a shit about people's economic situations and my point is if you are going to force the issue then you better step the fuck up and make it a non issue so that it is not a consideration that people take into account when condidering whether or not to be a parent.

I can't think of anything more horrific than someone wanting to bring a child into the world and then choosing not to because of economic reasons. Especially considering we live in the richest country on this planet.. Shame on people who think they have no responsibility to help single mothers or couples/families with the real costs of raising children.

And no, I won't start my own thread. Not gonna do it And what makes you think I'm not happy about this story?! I think it's amazing I'm happy for the parents that they had the ability to do this.

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[Edited 2/21/07 12:24pm]

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

glad you're happy about it. stop debating politics over here.

go here: http://www.prince.org/msg/105/218566

I don't know, I don't have an opinion about it one way or the other. I just know that that pic scares me every time I see it. It really does.

fantasyislander said:

too late! I'll chime in there as well. I'll wait till some whack ass shows up tho

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I was a premie too!

I smell a fight! kidding

unlucky7 said:

Did they discharge you like 2 days later? I can't believe they would even think about releasing this child from the hospital so quickly. There has to be something about the story that is missing or I'm not understanding.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

baby was born in october a preemie, they were going to release her on tuesday, feb 20. she's going to stay in the hospital a few more days.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

nope I was in there for awhile. It said she was born in October and some are saying they are going to release her soon, so I guess she's much bigger and stronger.

fantasyislander said:

Oh, Ok I thought they just pulled her out and were considering shipping her off 2 days later. I knew that could not be right. Is that what she looks like now or was that when she was still fresh and steaming?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

"fresh and steaming"


luv's post says "In this photo made in Oct. 2006"