World’s Most Premature Babies Who Were Born at 22 Weeks Celebrate 1st Birthday | The Twins Were Given 0% Survival Rate

The World's most premature twins recently celebrated an important milestone on March 4—they turned one. They also acquired a Guinness World Record! The twins, who arrived more than four months premature, were given a 0% chance of survival when they were born. The record-keeping group lists Adiah Laelynn and Adrial Luka Nadarajah as the most premature twins, having been born at just 22 weeks old. The Canadian twins are doing "really well," despite the difficult journey they have had to endure. "We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times," mom Shakina Rajendram shared with Guinness World Records. 

Adiah, Shakina's daughter, who has grown to weigh 18 times as much as she did at birth, is described as "an extremely happy and social baby." Proud mama Shakina shares, “She’s an extremely happy and social baby, and smiles all day long,” Shakina revealed. “She is very chatty and has ‘conversations’ with us and her toys for hours,” she added. Even though Adrial has had to visit the hospital twice since returning home, he is "progressing well" and has outgrown his elder sister, per PEOPLE. 

Shakina claimed that when her babies were first born, doctors informed her there was a "0% chance of survival," for them. But after getting transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, the parents started to have hope — although Shakina was told that in order for the twins to survive, they had to be at least 22 weeks old. Shakina, who was attempting to "hold the babies in," thought her water ruptured just before midnight on the second day of her labor. "I thought that this was it," she recalled.

Thankfully, her water hadn't actually broken, and when it did, it was just 15 minutes after midnight, and the pregnancy was formally at 22 weeks. According to Guinness World Records, Adrial weighed 0.92 lb when he was delivered, whereas Adiah, who arrived 23 minutes earlier, weighed just 0.72 lb. They were both successfully resuscitated after that.

The twins, who had several problems and were born with extremely thin skin, stayed in the hospital for almost six months. Adiah was the first to be released after spending 161 days in the hospital. Adrial was released from the hospital the following week but had to return twice because of infections and breathing problems. “The babies were close to death so many times, and as people prayed, things would miraculously change,” Shakina explained.

The twins will continue to be observed by specialists now that both babies have returned home, and the family reports that they are "doing great." The proud mother Shakina added, "It was very difficult for us having Adiah at home and Adrial in the hospital, but thankfully Adrial is back home now, hopefully, this time for good!"

References:

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/3/0-chance-of-survival-worlds-most-premature-twins-defy-doctors-740148

https://people.com/human-interest/worlds-most-premature-twins-born-22-weeks-first-birthday/

Cover Image Source: Guinness World Records