Baby born in Bristol weighing just 1lb 4oz survived after being placed in plastic bag

One of Britain’s tiniest babies who weighed just 1lb 4oz when he was born at a Bristol hospital survived after he was placed in a plastic bag.

Pace Galbraith was born at 25 weeks – a staggering 101 days early – and was so tiny he was too frail to even hold or cuddle.

Doctors kept Pace warm by placing him in a plastic drawstring neonatal bag moments after he was delivered on March 11.

The tiny tot has spent the first weeks of his life in intensive care at Bristol Children’s Hospital while his lungs are developing.

His parents Bella and Paul, from Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, now face a 150-mile round-trip to visit their son.

Bella, 33, who has three other children, said: “We’re getting there, slowly. It just hasn’t really been my time.

“He was actually trying to be born at 24 weeks but we had some drugs to try and delay it. When he was at 25 weeks, he decided he had enough.

“There was a chance of a premature birth as my previous 12-year-old was born ten weeks early. It’s a completely different experience.

“When I went in, I was already 2cm dilated, so he was just desperate to come out.

“I had some anti-clotting medication because I had been in bed for a week beforehand. Because I had that I could not have had an epidural as I could have bled into my spine. When he was born the doctors worked on him to get him breathing for five minutes.

“They then they popped him in a neonatal bag, which is basically a drawstring bag type thing that is used to keep him warm because Pace couldn’t regulate his temperature.

“If he was born at home, even putting him in a plastic bag would have helped.”

Bella, a receptionist, was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after her waters broke on March 7.

She was transferred 72 miles away to Bristol where doctors tried to delay labour but were forced to perform an emergency caesarean four days later.

Despite his tiny size, Bella and Paul visit Pace every day and are now able to hold him.

Bella said: “You can see how much he’s developing into a normal looking baby.

“All that extra time you get with him that you normally wouldn’t get. It’s all the little things you take you for granted, like opening his eyes.

“The first time we had a cuddle was when he was a week old. We do have cuddles now.

“I think we’ve probably had him out about ten times. It’s lovely but also stressful as you’re constantly checking the monitors for heart levels.

“He was minute and his skin is quite delicate so you could not touch him.

“He just about fits in your hand, with a little leg hanging over.

“Progress is slow, the lungs aren’t developed until 32 weeks. So he was on a ventilator at first and now he’s on a different breathing machine.”

Bella and Paul have now set up a GoFundMe page for donations to help with the cost of travelling to visit Pace.

Paul, 42, a prison officer, said: “The kids are currently living in our home in Stourport, it’s like 72 miles away.

“Having to travel backwards and forwards and paying the rent. It’s a very tight strain.

“We’ve got two daughters and a son. Obviously we have to divide our time between Pace and seeing the children as well, so it’s a bit of back and forth. It’s a lot of stress and fuel.

“It kind of happened in the fuel hype, when prices went through the roof. To fill up your tank now is a ridiculous amount of money and it’s costing us a fortune.

“Financially we’re struggling because Bella is struggling with her maternity as she started her job at the wrong time as she fell pregnant.

“I was ready to start my prison officer job on the 7th March and that was the day she woke me up half past two in the morning and said the baby’s coming.

“That was quite a stressful moment.”

The couple hope Pace will be well enough to come home by June 22 – his original due date.