A mum has told how her babies defied the odds after TWO were born with intestines outside their bodies – and both saved after they were wrapped in CLINGFILM.
Doctors told Krystle Giles, 26, the chances of having two children born with the rare condition gastroschisis was so low they had never seen it.
The birth defect effects only 1 in every 3,000 babies – the same odds as being struck by lightning – and the odds of having two are one in nine million.
But Krystle proved lightening CAN strike twice when baby Petal was born with the condition, just eight years after her brother Owen.
Both the babies were swaddled in thick life-saving clingfilm – just like the stuff from the supermarket – to hold their organs inside before life-saving operations.
But brave Krystle knew what to expect after her nephew Kyle – her sister in law’s son – was born with the same condition in 2000.
Krystle, from Glastonbury, Somerset, said: “I never really asked them why they use clingfilm.
“I hadn’t really thought about it – I was so drugged up after having the kids that it didn’t really sink in.
“But when I saw the photos it was a shock. My mum and partner did it all – even at my age I still need my mum.”
She added: “I think my children owe their life’s to St Michael’s Hospital for having such amazing surgeon.
“All the doctors and midwives said they had not heard of it happening twice.
“My son was born with it and my nephew was born with it too.”
Krystle first learnt about the unusual birth defect when her nephew Kyle was born, days after the Millennium, and was kept in hospital for more than a fortnight.
Eight years later, while pregnant with baby Owen, Krystle was shocked to be told at the 16-week scan that her son also had the condition.
The disorder usually occurs when the intestines don’t move into the foetus’ abdomen and grow outside the body because the abdominal wall does not completely form.
Doctors wrapped the tot in cling-film in order to keep the heat in, keep his organs close to his body, and retain vital fluids, when he was born on June 10, 2008.
She said: “Owen was in hospital for a couple off months, whereas Petal was only in for 23 days.
“Owen had to have his insides put back in also a blood transfusion and he had to have another operation to move one off his testicles down, whereas Petal only had to have all her insides put back in.”
Krystle and her partner Royston Corp, 37, were shocked when they found out Petal had the same rare condition at their 13 week scan.
She was born by emergency caesarian section on April 11 after attempts to induce mum at 37 weeks failed to work, and Krystle was in labour for three days.
She said: “They induced me in order to get her going but she still wasn’t coming.
“Petal was meant to be born normally but her heart beat dropped so they did an emergency C-section.
“I was in lots of pain and they gave me an epidural.”
Medics rushed tiny Petal to an operating theatre at Bristol’s St Michael’s Hospital when she was just a few hours old, for the op.
Warehouse worker Krystle said: “They did the operation within a few hours of her birth.
“Petal’s been doing really well, she’s gone from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to getting ready to come home.
“She’s a really good baby, she’s really happy, she keeps opening her eyes.”
Petal was kept in hospital for nearly a month before joining siblings Angel, 10, and Owen, 8, at home.
The proud mum said: “Petal’s done really well, she was in hospital for 23 days, and some babies are in for 100 days.
“Everything’s fine, she’s a really happy baby. As soon as she came out, her eyes were wide open. I remember her eyes being really alert.
“They took her in for an operation fast so it was all done in one go, on other occasions it can take days or weeks.
“It was a shock when we were told. No-one at the hospital had heard of it happening twice.
“After the operation she was put in an incubator with bubble wrap to keep her warm. They didn’t want a blanket touching her scarring.”
Speaking of her brave children and nephew, Krystle said: “They’re my three gastroschisis warriors.”
