Neonate ward helping give ‘little fighter’ Khaleesi the best start to life

Weighing just over 1,700 grams, baby Khaleesi entered the world well ahead of her scheduled due date.

Born at 33 weeks to parents Tahlia and Harley, not only was the gender a surprise but so was her early arrival.

"Khaleesi needed some extra support with breathing and feeding," Mum Tahlia Martin said.

"It was a very different experience to the labour I had with my first born son, I wasn't used to not being with my baby straight after the birth.

"It definitely hasn’t been easy but we’re trying to stay positive and open minded to the possibilities – the midwives, doctors and nurses have all been absolutely amazing in the support they’ve provided us."

Khaleesi is one in ten babies who are born prematurely across the globe every year and require specialised critical care from the moment they are born until discharge.

In 2024 of the 3,570 babies delivered at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH), approximately 870 where admitted to the Neonatal Unit and 200 of those required intensive care and 360 of those were <37 weeks' gestation.

With prematurity the leading cause of preventable child deaths, FSH Neonatology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Christie Jarvis, said having a baby born premature can have lasting health consequences for the baby and their families.

"Preterm babies have underdeveloped lungs, brain, immune system and ability to regulate their own temperatures, meaning they are especially vulnerable to life-threatening complications.

"Behind every preterm baby is a family navigating fear, uncertainty, emotional and financial stress which can lead to lifelong trauma from watching their baby fight to survive."

This World Prematurity Day (17 November 2025), the FSH Maternity department continues to work towards reducing the prevalence of early term births and preterm births by participating in the ‘Every Week Counts National Preterm Prevention Birth Collaborative’ initiative funded by the Commonwealth government.

To reduce the incidence and impact of premature birth for families within South Metropolitan Health Service, FSH is committed to implementing strategies which include measuring the cervical length in all mid-pregnancy morphology ultrasound scans, prescribing vaginal progesterone for those with shortened cervixes’ during pregnancy and following the recommendation that pregnancy should continue to 39 weeks unless there is a medical or obstetric justification.

For Tahlia and Harley, they are focused on soaking up all the tiny baby snuggles and precious skin-to-skin contact as they watch their little fighter get stronger each day.

"We had the name Khaleesi, which means ‘queen’, picked out if we had a girl and we think it suits her perfectly for the fight ahead," Tahlia said.

"This is all new for us and it’s been a big eye opener, and while it’s been stressful at times, it’s all worth it."

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