Rebecca is now 13 and has become, in her mother's words, "a perfectly normal teenager." Her progress at school has been such that she has been rewarded with countless awards and certificates.

As far as Adele is concerned, Rebecca is walking, talking proof that, on this occasion, the doctors got it wrong. In her opinion if they wanted living proof of the potential of babies born prior to the 24 week limit they need look no further than Rebecca.

"I just can't believe they voted against the change," she says. "The more I think about it the more disgusted I get. I really thought that this time the BMA would have listened to people like me and looked at the potential of babies born at 22 weeks and that this would have changed their minds.

"Rebecca is my little miracle but there are more and more babies surviving after premature births and going on to lead normal lives."

'Abortion Has Become Too Easy'

But an overwhelming majority of doctors meeting at the BMA conference in Manchester yesterday disagreed with proposed changes to the 24-week limit, saying they could not back any reduction.

Advances in medical science in recent years have meant that more and more premature babies born at less than 24 weeks are able to survive, although in many cases with severe disability.

Rebecca has had more than her fair share of health problems having undergone three heart operations as well as surgery to save her sight.

These type of problems are quite commonplace among children born at such an early age of pregnancy but Adele, from Prescot, says she would not have given termination a second's thought even though the risks of giving birth after just 22 weeks were so great.

She says: "Abortion has become too easy for too many people but, even at 22 weeks, it is not something I would have considered. When Rebecca was born we were told the first 48 hours would be the most critical but she got through them and so have plenty of other babies born at such an early stage.

"She is an example of what can be achieved."

87% Before 13 Weeks

Less than 1% of the 190,000 abortions a year in England and Wales are carried out after 22 weeks, with 87% before 13 weeks. But the abortion rate has more than trebled since it was legalized in 1969.

Campaigners remain divided over whether the upper limit for abortion should be altered. Pro-life group Life said it supports moves to lower the legal limit as long as it does not lead to abortions being made much easier to access early on.

But the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which carried out 50,000 abortions last year, sent an open letter to BMA members ahead of their vote urging them to reject a reduction.

Chief executive Ann Furedi says: "If the time limit had been lowered some women would have been forced to become unwilling mothers. Others would have traveled abroad for legal abortion in other countries."

And Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, says: "We welcome the BMA's vote in favor of maintaining the present abortion time limit at 24 weeks. Women faced with the decision to have a late abortion do not make this decision lightly and do so under extremely difficult circumstances.

"Abortion services in the UK are not seen as a priority and many women face problems even trying to obtain an early termination."

Easy Way Out?

Whichever way yesterday's decision had gone it is clear that someone was going to be upset by it. Keith Brent, a pediatrician, told the conference a reduction in the legal limit would compel him to attempt the resuscitation of premature babies with extremely poor prospects of leading a normal life.

"Below 24 weeks the likelihood of dying or surviving with a disability is between 99% and 100%," he said. "There is no point in forcing me, my staff, mothers and babies to go through that."

But, as far as Adele Simpson is concerned, the BMA took the easy way out. "I am sure that if they had taken that vote after seeing a 24-week-old baby fighting for breath they would have voted differently. This was their chance to change things but they have missed it."