Tiny Lives

Charlie is born at just 23 weeks, almost the earliest a baby can be kept alive. His eyes haven't opened yet and his lungs are only half grown. A family with premature twins finally gets to bring their son home after six months in the unit.

A long-standing staff member sees the unit from the other side when her twin grandsons are delivered by Caesarean section two months early, a family from Dumfries wait to be reunited and a first-time mum goes into labour at six months pregnant.

Innes, born at 23 weeks and two days, battles the odds just to get home. Triplets pose transport problems and Sonny struggles to breastfeed.

Alfie is born at 27 weeks after showing signs of distress in the womb. His lungs are not yet ready to breathe on their own and a ventilator is keeping him alive. Alfie's parents didn't expect him to arrive for another three months and face a long and uncertain journey as they adapt to life with a baby in neonatal intensive care. The neonatal unit's senior midwife is faced with added pressures as the pandemic impacts staffing in the unit and a premature baby is isolated due to Covid.

There is a new arrival in the unit's intensive care ward. Baby Roman is six weeks premature and struggling to breathe on his own. As the team focuses on getting Roman well enough to go home, his mum Claire is encouraged to get involved in her baby's care. First-time mum Kirsty shares her experience of losing her baby Ava at just five days old and the support the unit offers for bereaved families.