A premature baby was born so small her mother is dressing her in TEDDY BEAR clothes to avoid suffocating her.
Mia MacCormack arrived 12 weeks early weighing just 2lb 8oz with a 10 inch long (26cm) body.
The newborn was so small even premature babygrows were too big and her mum Emilie MacCormack, 24, was terrified she would suffocate under layers of clothing.
So Emilie, a social worker, then found a novel way of dressing her daughter – using the clothes from dolls and teddy bears.
She now purchases babygrows and outfits made for toys, which fit her tiny daughter perfectly.
Emilie, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, said: “Mia fitted in the palm of my hand when she was born.
“I tried dressing her in baby grows with drawstrings but they were still huge, and they were all so plain and boring.
“One afternoon I was struggling to dress her and looked up and saw a teddy bear dressed in a purple fairy dress.
“It seemed the perfect answer so I took it off the bear and gently put it on Mia. It fitted perfectly and I no longer panicked that she would suffocate herself.”
After discovering they were the perfect fit, the single mum began taking a range of outfits off Build-a-Bears, Baby Annabelle outfits and other tiny dolls.
Mia’s wardrobe now ranges from a princess to a pilot and she even has a miniature raincoat for bad weather outings.
Today, Mia, now four months old, weighs 7lb – the average size of a newborn.
But unlike most mothers who turn to Mothercare for their little ones’ clothes, Emilie is still shopping in Toys R Us.
She added: “People always think she’s a doll, so that gave me an idea. I started buying Baby Annabelle clothes from Toys R Us because they’re the same size.
“Also, once she grows out of the outfits I can put them back on her teddies, so it’s cost effective too.”
In May 2012, Emilie, then 22, was diagnosed with unicornuate uterus syndrome – meaning her womb is split in two, increasing her chances of miscarrying and premature labour.
The condition came to light after the birth of her first son Kai, now two, who was born at just 27 weeks, weighing 2lb 2oz.
Though Kai pulled through after three months in hospital, doctors told Emilie it would be almost impossible for her to conceive again.
In spite of this she fell pregnant in November 2013 and decided to carry on with the pregnancy, despite fears she could miscarry or give birth early.
In March 2014, Emilie went into labour at 28 weeks and Mia was born weighing 2lb 8oz.
She spent the first six weeks of her life on the anti-natal ward at Barnet Hospital.
But against all the odds, she has pulled through and now lives with single-mum Emilie and her older brother.
Mia has battled blood poisoning and two bleeds in her brain which means she’ll need regular brain scans for the rest of her life to check for damage.
She is also awaiting open heart surgery to fix a 3mm hole in her heart.
Emilie said: “Despite her health problems, doctors believe she’s got a normal chance at life.
“We have to take every day as it comes but I’m confident her and her brother continue to grow into healthy, happy children.”
