'World's smallest baby' thriving after premature birth
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pic shows: Emilia, the smallest premature baby in the world A baby is said to be the smallest ever born in the world who survived a premature birth. Baby Emilia was born in a hospital in the western German city of Witten in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Weighing only 229 grams (8 ounces), she has been described by local media as the lightest premature baby ever born in the world. They said the previous record was held by Rumaisa Rahman, who was born in the Loyola University Medical Centre in the US city of Chicago when her mum was only 25 weeks pregnant. At birth, she was eight inches tall and weighed 8.6 ounces. For both Emiliaâs parents and the doctors, her birth is a special moment. According to the doctors she can be called a medical sensation. At birth the girl was just 8.6 inch tall, her 1.2-inch foot not much bigger than a fingernail. Dr. Bahman Gharavi, Head of Children and Youth Clinic at the hospital, said the girlâs birth was truly unique. The doctor said that the survival of the baby was only possible thanks to the joint effort of paediatricians, gynaecologists and paediatric surgeons. And thanks to Emilia. He said: "Even children with a birth weight of 14 ounces rarely survive. We have to thank Emilia as well for her own survival. She is a little fighter." At the beginning of the 26th week of pregnancy Prof Dr Sven Schiermeier, chief physician of obstetrics, decided together with the parents to deliver the baby by Caesarean section. He said that otherwise Emilia would have died in the womb as the placenta was not sufficient for her nutrition. For comparison, the doctor said that usually a foetus in the 26th week of pregnancy would have weighed around 21 ounces. For parents Lukas and Sabine Grabarczyk (34 and 30 years old) there was no question as to whether they would give the child a chance even if the odds for survival were low. The early birth was followed by a period of uncertainty. Emilia was born so early that it led to subse (CEN)
Baby Emilia was delivered at 26 weeks after doctors feared she wasn’t getting enough nutrition, and at 8 ounces, some experts believe she’s the lightest preemie ever born.
A fetus in the 26th week of pregnancy typically weighs around 21 ounces, the girl’s doctor, Dr. Sven Schiermeier, told Central European News (CEN). Emilia was born in a hospital in the western German city of Witten.
Schiermeier and his team decided to deliver her by caesarean section because the placenta wasn’t providing sufficient nutrition and they feared she would die in the womb.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Even children with a birth weight of 14 ounces rarely survive,” he told CEN. “We have to thank Emilia as well for her own survival. She is a little fighter."
Emilia’s parents, Lukas and Sabine Grabarczyk, told CEN there was no question they were going to give their child a chance, even if the odds for her survival were low.
Because of her premature birth, Emilia has an increased risk of hyperactivity and learning difficulties, but so far she shows no signs of serious disability.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She was initially fed with a tiny tube, and doctors used a cotton swap soaked in sugar water to soothe her and relieve pain, CEN reported. When she was just 12 ounces, she underwent abdominal surgery.
“There were many difficult days and many tears, but she clearly wanted to survive,” Sabine told CEN.
Now, at 9 months old, she weighs 106 ounces and is becoming more robust.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to CEN, the previous record for lightest premature baby was held by Rumaisa Rahman, who was delivered at 25 weeks and weighed 8.6 ounces.