World's ‘smallest baby’ returns home after spending 13 months in hospital

A baby, thought to be the world’s smallest at birth, was finally sent home after spending 13 months in hospital. Kwek Yu Xuan weighed just 212 grams or around the weight of a large apple, when she was born on 9 June last year. She measured just 24 cm.

Born premature at 25 weeks, Xuan was delivered via an emergency C-section at Singapore National Hospital. The delivery was premature because Xuan’s mother was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. The condition, which can be fatal for both the mother and child, results in dangerously high blood pressure that can damage vital organs.

More than a year after she was admitted to an intensive care unit, Xuan now weighs a healthy 6.3 kilograms. The Singapore National Hospital said she “is likely the world’s lightest baby to have survived a premature birth”.

Treating the baby proved to be very challenging for the doctors. She required medicine that had to be calculated to decimal points. Attaching probes to her body was difficult because her skin was very fragile. However, Xuan fought against all odds to survive.

Doctors said the baby was a ray of hope amidst a turbulent year and had “ inspired people around her with her perseverance and growth, which makes her an extraordinary 'COVID-19' baby”.

Her treatment costs were funded by a crowdfunding campaign. While Xuan still suffers from chronic lung disease, doctors expect her to get better slowly.

The previous record for the world’s smallest baby was held by a girl born in the USA in 2018, who weighed about 245 grams, according to the Tiniest Babies Registry by the University of Iowa.