Colorado Couple Shares Inspiring Story For National Prematurity Awareness Month

(CBS4) - Riggins Fiegl was born at 25 weeks and weighed only 1 pound, 14 ounces. His parents, Bailey and Luke, are sharing their story for National Prematurity Awareness Month.

Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm each year -- about one in 10 worldwide. Sadly, premature birth is also the leading cause of death for babies under the age of 5 worldwide.

Riggins has been in the NICU at Children's Hospital Colorado almost 90 days. It's been a tough road, but they wanted to share their story to highlight the great support staff that has helped them get through this hard time.

"No one really knows the depth of the NICU. It's a scary world, but it brings people together. These nurses are our best friends right now, they're the people we see the most," said Bailey Fiegl.

Health care has changed a lot over the years when it comes to premature care. According to Children's Hospital Colorado, 40 years ago it was rare for a baby born before 32 weeks to survive. Now, babies as young as 23 weeks have the opportunity to thrive in the NICU.
  
For more information on the NICU at Children's Hospital Colorado, you can visit a special section of childrenscolorado.org.