Then and Now Photos of Kids Who Were Born Premature
These Then-and-Now Photos of Premature Babies Prove How Resilient Preemies Really Are
Premature babies certainly have it tough: because they have less time to develop in the womb, they often face hardships shortly after birth. From long hospital stays to health issues including heart conditions and underdeveloped organs to delayed developmental milestones, these preemies – born as early as 23 weeks but typically between 34 and 36 weeks – have an uphill battle to fight from the very start.
Red Méthot, a photographer from Quebec, decided to show just how resilient premature babies are in a touching photo series titled "Les Premás."
His portraits depict mostly children — but several adults — who were born prematurely holding a framed photograph of themselves as newborns, many strapped to ventilators and countless wires. Despite, as Méthot wrote on Facebook, the "difficult journey at the beginning of life," these then-and-now images are a true sign that the once-weak babies are now thriving. As he noted, "You can see what they have become."
Élodie, born at 23 weeks
Thomas, born at 23 weeks
Alice, born at 27 weeks
Noah and Nathan, born at 32 weeks
Emile, born at 26 weeks
Lana, born at 30 weeks
Theo, born at 25 weeks
Julie, born at 28 weeks, and her son Kevin, born at 34 weeks
Léa-Rose, born at 26 weeks
Zachary, born at 27 weeks
Lexiani, born at 25 weeks
Virginie, born at 30 weeks
Eva, born at 29 weeks
Felix, born at 23 weeks, and his brother Alexis, born at 32 weeks
Margot, born at 29 weeks
Noah, born at 32 weeks. His twin sister, Victoria, left in the framed picture, died one month after birth.
Charles, born at 26 weeks
Tamica, who was 26 weeks pregnant at the time of the photo, born at 32 weeks
Maélie, born at 30 weeks
Charles, born at 33 weeks
Justine, born at 30 weeks
Charles-Antoine and Mara, born at 27 weeks
Alexyane, born at 30 weeks
Karine, born at 28 weeks
Felix, born at 24 weeks
