THE Ilkley baby who made it into the world despite the odds being heavily stacked against him has celebrated his first birthday.

Joshua Abraham was dubbed a 'miracle' baby by hospital staff after surviving a rare and often fatal birth complication.

Joshua's mum Maria discovered when only 34 weeks pregnant that the baby's umbilical cord had dropped through the birth canal and prolapsed.

Although an ambulance was called immediately and doctors performed an emergency Caesarean section when Mrs Abraham got to hospital, Joshua was not expected to survive.

Prolapsed cords are usually constricted by the baby's passage down the birth canal which interrupts the oxygen and blood supply.

Babies with prolapsed cords are usually expected to survive for no longer than 20 minutes. Those that do survive also have a high risk of cerebral palsy because of a lack of oxygen to the brain.

When Joshua was born at Airedale Hospital, Steeton, near Keighley, his cord had prolapsed one and a half hours previously.

Mrs Abraham only realised how lucky Joshua had been when she later spoke to hospital staff.

She said: "They called him a miracle baby and said they had never had a baby survive for nearly one and a half hours with a prolapsed cord before."

One year later and Joshua is thriving despite suffering some health problems which are a legacy from his premature and difficult birth.

Mrs Abraham said: "He has had breathing problems throughout which were caused by him being premature. He has been back to Airedale Hospital and now he is waiting for a double hernia operation.

"It is quite common. I think it is caused by the amount of coughing he has been doing. We are waiting for it to be done at Leeds General Infirmary later in January.

"He coughs when he cries and his chest has to be kept clear all the time, but his development has been the same as a full-term baby."

She explained that lively Joshua is the same as any other 12 month-old baby.

"He is crawling, sitting up and eating well. He is absolutely brilliant," said Mrs Abraham, 39, of Skipton Road.

Mrs Abraham said that the family had just returned from a holiday in Jamaica where Joshua visited his grandparents.

"We have just come back - his health improved because of the good weather," said Mrs Abraham.

To celebrate the birthday, which fell last Friday, Joshua had a party a day later at Ilkley's Escape Bar, together with his godparents and other mums who had babies at the same time.

And in March, Joshua will be christened at Ilkley's All Saints Church.

Mrs Abraham has kept in touch with the members of the ambulance service who helped her maintain the correct position to keep Joshua alive during the agonisingly slow drive to hospital.

"They told me to get on my hands and knees and to stick my bottom in the air. I had to crawl on a stretcher like that," she said.

One of the crew was Australian Craig Hickson, who said at the time: "She was in the recommended position to let gravity drag the baby away from the cord it was difficult to get her into the ambulance."

Mr Hickson has since returned to Australia but Mrs Abraham has kept in touch by e-mail and has exchanged children's photographs with him.

The incident was reported in the ambulance service magazine as well as the Gazette making Mrs Abraham instantly recognisable for people in the area.

"The people in Ilkley have been absolutely brilliant," said Mrs Abraham.