A baby said to be the world's smallest at birth has been finally discharged from Singapore hospital after 13 months. Kwek Yu Xuan at the time of her birth just weighed 212 grams, equal to the weight of a large apple. Xuan was born on June 9 last year and measured 24cm long.
She was delivered prematurely at 25 weeks via an emergency C-section at Singapore national hospital. 25 weeks is way shorter than the average 40. Xuan’s mother was disguised with pre-eclampsia, a condition that can become deadly for both mother and child. The condition can cause high blood pressure leading to damage of vital organs.
Previously, the world’s smallest baby record was held by a girl born in the USA who was born in 2018, weighing 245 grams, according to the University of Iowa's Tiniest Babies Registry.
After staying in the intensive care unit for over a year, the baby is now healthy and weighs 6.3 kilograms. She “is likely the world’s lightest baby to have survived a premature birth”, the Singapore hospital said.
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Stating that the baby girl’s survival was doubtful, the hospital in a statement said,
"Against the odds, with health complications present at birth, she has inspired people around her with her perseverance and growth, which makes her an extraordinary 'Covid-19' baby - a ray of hope amid the turmoil.”
Treating the baby was challenging for the doctors as she needed medicines that had to be calculated to decimal points. Because her skin was extremely fragile, attaching probes to her body was difficult, however, the baby girl fought the battle against all odds and survived.
Yu Xuan during her treatment was given varied kinds of treatment and had to rely on different machines to survive. Her long hospital pay was raised through a crowdfunded campaign that amounts to S$366,884 ($270,601; £195,188).
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Doctors believe the baby girl’s health progressed well under their care and now she is doing well to be discharged. However, she still suffers from chronic lung disease, doctors have said that she could slowly become better.
Yu Xuan's parents have been trained on using medical equipment so that her care could continue at home after hospital discharge.