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Last August, the world said hello to the smallest baby boy ever born. This week, he’s on his way to getting ready for his first hello as he gets discharged from the hospital six months after his birth.
World’s Smallest Baby Boy Goes Home
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They say, the earlier you get out of the oven, the lesser your chance of survival. In 1989, at only 26 weeks, Madeline Mann was born. Weighing 9.9 ounces, at the time, she was the smallest premature baby. Fifteen years later, Rumaisa Rahman was born. She spent only 25 weeks in her mother’s womb. Five years after Rumaisa’s birth, Jonathon Whitehill was born at 25 weeks’ gestation. Madeline, Rumaisa, and Jonathon were all born premature, weighing barely 10 ounces, and measuring a little over 9 inches. They went through a tough time, but they all survived.
Now, ten years later, another baby was born premature at a gestational age that is considered dangerous. While Madeline, Rumaisa, and Jonathan spent 25 to 26 weeks in the oven, the boy from Tokyo, Japan, stayed inside for only 24 weeks. When he was born, he was only 268 grams.
As it is with premature babies, doctors feared for the child’s life. Considering his measurements at birth, his life was in grave danger. Delivered via Cesarean section, the baby was so small, “he could fit in a pair of hands.” Doctors had to closely monitor his health. Although chances are weak, everybody at the hospital never gave up until they saw progress in his health.
After treating him at the neonatal intensive care unit for almost half a year, the baby boy grew and now weighs 3,238 grams, making him the world’s smallest baby boy to be sent home healthy.
The boy’s parents were delighted to know that they can finally go home with their child. Speaking to the media, the mother said, “I can only say I’m happy that he has grown this big because honestly, I wasn’t sure he could survive.”
The boy’s amazing progress touched hearts. Dr. Takeshi Arimitsu, the doctor who treated him, wants everyone to know that those born small have an equal chance of growing healthy and leaving the hospital in good condition. Having taken care of a number of premature babies, Dr. Arimitsu wants the case of the world’s smallest baby boy to remind people that one does not have a reason to give up just because their child is born a smaller size than the rest.
While the boy from Tokyo is the world’s smallest baby boy, he isn’t the smallest premature baby to ever be born and survive. In 2015, a girl from Germany was born weighing only 252 grams and managed to leave the hospital healthy. She’s the smallest ever, according to the Tiniest Babies registry.
