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Hello, I'm Susan Hume and this is the Yesterday in Parliament podcast.

On Friday, the 6th of June, peers held a sometimes emotional debate

following a House of Lords inquiry into babies born prematurely.

Amid all the discussion of targets, guidelines, funding, there were raw human feelings.

The identical twin granddaughters of the Lib Dem Lady Brinton were born at 29 weeks.

One of the twins referred to by Lady Brinton as A struggled both before and after she was born.

We were warned that one of them might have severe problems or not survive.

She did all 700 grams of her.

My son could hold A, her whole body in his hand, in the palm of his hand.

Lady Brinton was full of praise for the staff,

but the impact on her family over the following years was obvious.

Our family had the benefit of an effective series of full-up assessments, even though by that

stage A had a clear dislike of people in white coats, and who can blame her? Her final assessment

when she walked firmly and bravely through the door,

were thrilled she didn't have to return again.

By then, the speech and language therapists had supported her into excellent speaking.

Her hole in the heart had healed, and she no longer needed that down ventilator.

Now age nine, both girls are happy, healthy and intelligent.

But being born too soon can mean long-term disability and learning difficulties for many.

That's why the independent peer and retired obstetrician Lord Patel, who chaired the inquiry,

felt follow-up checks were so important.

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