Twins survived against the odds

A pair of identical twin girls born in Dorset with a potentially-fatal condition have celebrated their first birthday against all the odds.

Grace and Amelia Gander, of Corfe Mullen, were so small that a wedding ring could fit over their arms.

They suffered from twin-to-twin transfusion - where one twin grows in the womb at the expense of the other.

The girls were born 11 weeks premature and their parents were told they might not survive.

The sisters' parents said they are thrilled and are now trying to raise awareness of the condition, which affects a third of identical twins.

Jo Gander said: "They were perfectly formed, which was very strange, although they were so tiny.

"Their heads were like the size of an egg."

Her husband Dave said: "They looked like little aliens.

"They didn't look like babies really. So, as you can imagine, quite scary."

In twin-to-twin transfusion cases, two babies share one placenta and one receives more nutrients than the other, putting both at risk.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Twin To Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites