A PREMATURE baby born so tiny he could only fit into dolls clothes, today celebrates his first birthday.

Baby Cameron Wilson weighed in at little more than a bag of sugar when he was born three months early.

And he has beaten all the odds to reach his important first milestone.

The special birthday boy was born at the Royal Bolton Hospital when his mum, Coleen, was just 28 weeks into her pregnancy.

He weighed two pounds 11 ounces, and was so tiny he had to be dressed in doll clothes because he could not even fit into clothes specially made for premature babies.

At first Cameron appeared to be making good progress, but then illness struck. He was found to have a cerebral abscess the size of a tangerine. The abcess was drained but Cameron was left with epilepsy.

Doctors are now considering performing brain surgery to remove the part of his brain that surrounded the abcess.

Cameron was four and a half months old when he was finally allowed home permanently to the family home in Marsh Road, Little Lever, having spent most of his life being at the Royal Bolton Hospital and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury. Coleen, aged 32, said: "It's a big achievement that he has made it to his first birthday. We're having a big party and there will be a marquee in the garden. Family are coming up from Wales and London for the party."

Although Cameron is behind other children his age in terms of development, he now weighs 21 pounds and is sitting up and rolling around. Coleen says he is about as developed as an eight or nine-month-old baby.

"He is absolutely adorable. He is so pleasant and he's always smiling. To look at him you wouldn't think there is anything wrong with him."

As yet, it is impossible to say if Cameron will make a full recovery. It could be months before doctors decide whether to perform the brain surgery.

Coleen said: "The operation is very risky and doctors will only do it if they really have to."

Dealing with Cameron's illness has been hard, she said. Coleen, who has two other children, Stephen, aged 14, and Connor, aged six, often spends half the week sleeping over in hospitals to be near Cameron. And because Cameron suffers from nocturnal seizures she finds it hard to sleep.

Coleen will be taking Cameron to see a surgeon on September 18 -- but before then the family is simply happy to celebrate his memorable first year.