Twin girls Evelyn and Chloe were born slightly premature 53 days ago.

“My heart rate went from 58 beats a minute to 120 instantly. I think it safe to say there was a bit of panic,” said father Craig Hasilo.

Premature babies are far more common than we might think – one in ten babies born in Quebec is premature.

In many cases, like Chloe's, there are complications.

“Both of her nasal passages are blocked and since babies have to breathe through their nose to feed, it's kind of a critical condition that needed immediate attention,” he said.

“We have close to 900 admissions a year and half of those admissions are premature babies,” said Dr. Therese Perrault, division head of the neonatology unity at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

The tiniest ones, weighing in at about two pounds, are the most critical; every organ is at risk.

“The major problem is respiratory, so we need to have the technology to support their breathing and allow them to grow, and not develop complications,” said Perreault.

Born at 26 weeks, little Alex’s parents lived through terrifying moments, unsure he would survive.

“There were times when he had all the respiratory aid, and he was still faring very badly, so at some points we thought that he might not make it through,” said Kira Zoellner, Alex’s mother and the spokesperson for Prema-Quebec.

The non-profit organization provides everything from financial support to child care services, but most importantly, support, said Zoellner.

“You are scared, stressed out and completely worn out, because sometimes it's months that your child stays in the hospital,” she said.

The new mother waited 17 days to hold her son for even five minutes.

“It's a whole different birthing plan change, it's not what you expected. Those dreams kind of go to the wayside,” said Montreal Children’s Hospital neonatal nurse Jennifer Guerrero.

As World Prematurity Day approaches on Friday, doctors hope awareness will increase and research will continue, “to see how we can prevent prematurity and better treat it,” said Perreault.

In most cases, those tiny feet and hands get bigger, as feeding gets easier, and eventually babies go home.

“It's so rewarding when you see them after a couple of months or a couple of weeks go home with their babies,” said Guerrero.

It’s a day Hasilo is looking forward to.

“Other premature babies were born the same day as ours, and they are neighbours of ours in the NICU, and we've already talked about that basically they'll probably have a bond for life,” he said.