Close-up siblings one for the book

Palmerston North toddlers Joe and Annie Bleackley have cracked a world record - their birthdays are closer together than any other siblings from separate pregnancies.

Joe was less than seven months old when Annie was born, just 208 days after him, on March 30 last year. The previous Guinness Book of Records entry was 209 days.

Their parents, Jayne and Rob, say claiming the record is "just a bit of fun", but their other children, Lee, 10, and Megan, 9, are thrilled.

The couple received verbal confirmation of the record last month.

But it's a record that wasn't easy to achieve, and it's still not all plain sailing for Annie. Although the 21-month-old is growing, walking and trying to talk, she still carries the legacy of her premature birth. Annie was born at 24 weeks and weighed just 700g.

"She really just looked like a baby bird. Her eyes weren't even properly formed," says Mrs Bleackley.

Photographs from those early days, when her parents didn't expect her to survive and arranged a hasty baptism, show Mrs Bleackley's wedding ring fitting over Annie's arm. Rob's ring wouldn't go around her heel, but would have fitted over her thigh.

Annie was in care in Auckland for about seven months, a heart-breaking separation for the family.

She's been at home for the past 14 months and still requires technical care and attention. Jayne's mother Gloria helps out.

Annie's still just 8kg, and has a tracheotomy tube in her throat to keep the breathing passages open.

"Her throat's tiny - the size of a grain and a half of rice," says Mrs Bleackley.

The tube needs changing once a week, and often needs to be suctioned to keep it clear.

Twice in three weeks over winter the tube blocked and Annie turned blue and nearly died.

When she is 4kg heavier she will need another operation to rebuild her throat and replace the tube with a metal one.

Meanwhile, Annie eats what every other child enjoys. She can make a range of noises, or use a mechanical voice box, or use sign language to communicate. It is hoped her throat can be repaired for her to talk normally.

Mrs Bleackley says Annie is "determined".

"She's running around everywhere. She's really coping very well."

- NZPA