Girl, 4, helps deliver baby brother after midwife mother has kitchen labour

Emma Kedey, 40, of Dagenham, Essex, paid tribute to her daughter Sethrine who called for an ambulance, ran to get towels and comforted her mother.

Seriously premature baby Shadrach is at last on the road to recovery after spending the early part of his life on a ventilator and having multiple blood transfusions.

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Emma, a midwife herself, said: "I'm very proud of Sethrine. I don't know what I'd have done without her."

Mrs Kedey was just 26 weeks pregnant when her waters suddenly broke. She was at home with Sethrine and asked her to call 999 for an ambulance.

But Emma started having contractions before the ambulance arrived. A composed Sethrine comforted her crying mum and ran to get towels for her as Shadrach started to make his dramatic entrance into the world.

Emma said: "She said to me 'mummy, don't cry, sit down'. Sethrine was absolutely brilliant."

The mum-of-two added: "I was a little bit shocked and I lost concentration. It was a real shock for me because I couldn't do anything for myself.

"Being a midwife myself I knew what was happening and I just gave up. I thought I was going to lose my baby."

Emma's husband Seth returned home just in time for the speedy birth, which took just 15 minutes.

But an ambulance did not arrive until tiny Shadrach, weighing just under three pounds, had entered the world.

Critically ill Shadrach was immediately rushed to Queen's Hospital, Romford, in a rapid response vehicle as shattered Emma followed behind.

She was not reunited with her tiny tot for several hours as he fought for his life.

For the first weeks Shadrach was kept in the new hospital's intensive care unit and was only given the all-clear by his doctor at the end of May.

Doctors told Emma it was a miracle her baby survived.

Emma said: "I'm very proud of Sethrine. She is now brimming with difficult questions about her baby brother. Sethrine wants to know 'why is the baby so small', 'why did the baby come early?' I just haven't got the answers for her!"

Shadrach is now seven months old and doing well at home as he is looked after by his thrilled big sister as well as his overjoyed mum and dad.