Early birth for soap star Lordan

Lordan played Slater sister Lynne Hobbs in BBC soap EastEnders

Former EastEnders star Elaine Lordan has given birth to a son four weeks prematurely in a London hospital.

Named James Garrett Manuel, he has a congenital diaphragmatic hernia - a potentially fatal abnormality which affects one in every 3,000 pregnancies.

The baby will need corrective surgery but no date for that has been set.

Her spokeswoman said the baby was "doing well" and that Lordan and partner Peter Manuel were concerned but "optimistic for his future".

Cause unknown

Lordan, 37, who played Slater sister Lynne Hobbs before leaving the BBC One soap in July, is recovering from the delivery in hospital.

She was said to have been aware of her baby's condition "from early on in the pregnancy".

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) appears to happen spontaneously, and does not have genetic cause.

It is identified by a small hole in the diaphragm, which can enable the contents of the abdomen to enter the chest.

As a result, around 50% of babies born with the condition cannot breathe properly.