Canadian siblings given 0% chance of survival now hold Guinness record for world's most premature twins

Canadian siblings Adiah and Adrial Nadarajah have been named by Guinness as the world's most premature twins, born at 22 weeks or 126 days early. The Canadian brother and sister have overtaken the record, previously held by twins Keeley and Kambry Ewoldt, born in 2018 in the US state of Iowa at 125 days.

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Usually, pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks but Shakina Rajendram, the mother went into labour after just 21 weeks and five days. Four months early into her pregnancy, the doctors gave a zero per cent chance of survival to the babies.

“When I went into labour, the babies were denied all life-sustaining measures at the hospital I was admitted to and almost left to die,” revealed Rajendram before adding, "We were in shock."

As a rule of thumb, most hospitals do not attempt to save babies born before 24 to 26 weeks. According to a BBC report, Rajendram was told that if her babies were born, even a few minutes before 22 weeks, the doctors would not save them and they will be left to die.

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When all hope was seemingly lost, the couple was accepted by the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto which had a dedicatedneonatal intensive care unit. The situation, however, still remained grim.

Facing a life-and-death situation, Rajendram, on the second day of her labour triedto hold the babies for as long as possible. However, 15 minutes after midnight and less than two hours after entering 22 weeks inside the womb, Rajendram's water broke and the babies were born.

The twins had a combined weight of 750 grams which also made them the ‘lightest twins at birth’."We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times,"Rajendram told Guinness.

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Even after the babies were born, the fight was not over. The little kids had to battle a host of health complications ranging from lung disease to brain bleeding to sepsis to fluid management to breathing issues.

However, after six months in the hospital - the babies managed to hold their own and recently celebrated their first birthday.Guinness released a video documenting the journey of the parents and the kids.

(With inputs from agencies)

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