All babies are small and ridiculously cute, but some are born way smaller than others. With modern medical advances, even the tiniest little ones are given a better chance to survive.
Overwhelmed. Anxious. Joyful. Afraid. These are some of the many words parents of premature babies have used to describe their feelings in the NICU.
Neonatal intensive care for months enabled some of the tiniest and earliest newborns to survive and thrive as joyful, healthy bundles of joy. Here are some tales of small underdogs who overcame all obstacles and returned home to lead regular lives.
Rumaisa – The Smallest Baby To Ever Survive
Rumaisa was born in Chicago at 25 weeks gestation and weighing in at only 8.6 ounces. Her mother’s preclampsia caused a c-section, where she was delivered as a twin. Hiba, her twin, was born 1 pound, 4 ounces heavier and with less issues than Rumaisa had.
Though Rumaisa required around the clock oxygen, doctors expected her to grow and develop normally along with her sister. After Rumaisa was born, she quickly made startling advancements. By eight weeks, she and her sister could both drink from bottles and underwent laser eye surgery to improve their vision.
Three months later Rumaisa was healthy enough to be introduced to the public as the smallest baby to ever survive. She and her sister are both living healthy normal lives. Though they are both considered under weight for their age, they have not had any other health or behavioral problems related to their birth weight and premature birth.
Christopher – The Size Of Mom’s Hand
London’s own Christopher was born the size of his mother’s hand. She was prevented from having a first embrace or skin-to-skin contact as medical professionals rushed Christopher to the NICU to increase his chances of survival.
His mother feared she would never got the opportunity to cradle her baby boy as she looked at his tiny body, about the size of her hand.
Not knowing how long they would have him, Christopher and his parents prayed for a miracle. Christopher was growing under intense care around-the-clock, and each milestone was an accomplishment. He underwent two hernia procedures and was on oxygen and a feeding tube.
Five months of battling seemed like an eternity to Christopher’s parents. Once he made it that far, he was able to go home to be with his family. He is one of the smallest surviving babies to ever be born in Britain.
Kimberly – A 1 In 1000 Chance
Kimberly was given a 1 in 1000 chance of survival after being born 15 weeks premature and weighing just over 10 ounces. A placenta failure caused Kimberly’s heart to begin to weaken while she was still in the womb. She was delivered by emergency c-section after the umbilical cord’s blood supply failed.
Kimberly spent her first weeks in an incubator, and her first 5 months of life in the hospital. Each day Kimberly survived was a triumph. The fact that physicians believed she might be blind presented her with a serious setback. She was able to get back on track after having laser surgery to fix the issue. She struggled until, at 5.5 ounces and 17 inches, she was finally able to return home. She still needed oxygen and feeding through a tube, but she was finally able to be with her family.
Ruby – Smallest Surviving Baby In London
Ruby was named one of the smallest surviving babies in born Britain. In 2006 when she was born weighing 12.5 ounces at 26 weeks. She dropped to 10 ounces not long after her birth.
In her first four months little Ruby endured 5 resuscitations to keep her alive. Her skin was so translucent that her internal organs could be seen. She also battled an illness and required 15 blood transfusions. The odds were not in her favor, to put it mildly. She was such a marvel that her parents gave her the middle name “Angel.”
Ruby was ready to be released to go home when she hit just 4 pounds. She has continued to grow and develop and has no major health complications. At her first birthday she weighed just 11 pounds, but was a healthy one year old.
Amillia – Skin Almost Transparent
Oh baby! Amillia was born at only 21 weeks gestation and weighed only 10 ounces! She overcame the obstacles posed to her from birth thanks to her fierce personality. Her skin was nearly translucent and readily tore. Her fragile condition had her family and physicians concerned about her survival.
Amillia was conceived via IVF and had complications early after conception. When her mother’s bleeding started early in her pregnancy, the doctors discovered a blood clot on the womb. She was immediately placed on bed rest, but at 18 weeks she began to feel agony and discomfort. After an ultrasound, doctors confirmed she was in premature labor.
Amilia, her family, and her doctors fought hard for her survival. Just 11 days before her actual due date, she was released from the NICU and able to join her family at home.
