Guinness World Records has announced that three sisters born at Southmead Hospital were the world’s most premature triplets and the lightest triplet birth.
Rubi-Rose, Payton Jane and Porscha-Mae Hopkins were born at 22 weeks and five days gestation in February 2021 with a combined birth weight of 1.28kg (2.83lb).
The girls spent their first months in North Bristol NHS Trust’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Southmead.
Their parents Michaela White and Jason (Jay) Hopkins have credited the “incredible” staff involved in their care.
The couple found out they were expecting triplets when Michaela was 19 weeks pregnant – and three weeks later her waters broke with Rubi-Rose.
It was the early hours of Valentine’s Day when contractions started and at 10.33am Rubi-Rose was born, weighing 467g (1lb). Her sisters, identical twins Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae, were delivered by emergency Caesarean weighing 402g (0.89lb) and 415g (0.91lb) at 12.01 and 12.02pm.
The girls spent their first months in the NICU with the team supporting their breathing, nutrition and growth. Rubi-Rose was the first to come home from hospital in July 2021, then Payton-Jane later that month and Porscha-Mae followed at the end of September.
There was further time in Bristol Royal Hospital for Children with Payton Jane and Porscha-Mae still in for their first birthday.
The girls have varying levels of cerebral palsy and Porscha-Mae and Payton-Jane have mobility difficulties and are tube-fed, while Rubi-Rose can walk independently.
They celebrated their second birthday last month and the family was recently pleased to discover that their suspicions that the girls were the most premature triplets in the world were confirmed.
“When we had the girls people on the NICU said they weren’t aware of triplets born this early before and wondered if they might be the earliest in the country,” Jason said.
“We started to look into it and then found out not only were they the most premature triplets in the country, but in the world.”
Lead Consultant Neonatologist, Faith Emery, said: “We are so proud of the progress the girls have made since they were born and knowing we have been part of that journey.
“It has been a real team effort to get them here, from the moment Michaela arrived at the hospital and throughout the time the girls were with us – and that includes Michaela and Jay, because parents play such an important role in the care of babies on the unit.”
Speaking of the girls’ time at Southmead Hospital, Jason, said: “Everyone has been so amazing, absolutely incredible.
“If it wasn’t for Southmead, the girls wouldn’t be here.”