Whilst her mother, Kay Leigh, was in Wansbeck General Hospital's maternity unit she developed pre-eclampsia at 23 weeks and was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.

At the RVI, the maternity staff carried out blood and blood pressure tests and told Kay that as she was only in her 23rd week of pregnancy there was concern for her baby's safety because in the baby's chest there was a duct to her heart which was open, but if Kay could try to hang on until the 28th week then her baby would have a 70 per cent chance of a good birth.

Baby Ellie must have heard those words of advice, because she waited and was born in the 28th week, weighing just 1lb 13 ounces.

Ellie was given a brain scan and then kept on oxygen until she was nine weeks old and now, weighing 5lb 2oz her parents, Kay and Ben Larson, were allowed to take her home.

Ben and Kay are delighted to have their baby daughter home and wish to thank all the staff at the Wansbeck General Hospital and the RVI, who through their hard work and dedication ensured that their daughter Ellie, their first born, survived and is now thriving.

Pre-eclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and is the most common of the serious complications that occasionally occur during pregnancy.

It is caused by a defect in the placenta, which joins mother and baby and supplies the baby with nutrients and oxygen from the mother's blood. It is symptom-less in the early stages and is detectable only by regular antenatal checks on the mother's blood pressure and urine.
Affecting between five and eight per cent of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition which can cause swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision, however, some women report few symptoms.

Typically, it occurs after 20 weeks gestation and can be very serious and is responsible for the deaths of between three and five women a year, as well as between 500 and 600 babies.

It is potentially life-threatening to mother and baby if allowed to develop and progress undetected, with the most at risk being first-time mothers, like Kay; the over-40s; those with a BMI over 35; mothers having a baby ten years or more since their last; those suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease; those carrying more than one baby and those who have had it before.