Miami - The world's most premature living baby, born at 21 weeks and six days, is headed home after spending four months in a neonatal intensive care unit, Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami announced on Monday.
"It was hard to imagine she would get this far. But now she is beginning to look like a real baby," the baby's mother, Sonja Taylor said.
No baby born at less than 23 weeks was previously known to have survived, according to the University of Iowa, which keeps a record of the world's tiniest babies.
"Even though she's only 1,8kg now, she's plump to me," Taylor said.
When she was born on October 24, Amillia Taylor weighed just 280 grams and measured 24cm, slightly longer than a ballpoint pen, the hospital said.
Doctors said the baby girl is now thriving and well enough to be cared for by her parents at home.
She did suffer a laceration on her head at birth, but healed quickly from the wound.
"She's truly a miracle baby," said William Smalling, a neonatalist at the Baptist Children's Hospital.
He said caring for Amillia in the past month was like navigating uncharted waters.
"We didn't even know what a normal blood pressure is for a baby this small," Smalling said.
The baby was delivered via C-section after attempts to delay a premature delivery failed. She was breathing without assistance at birth and even made several attempts to cry.
The American Association of Paediatrics indicates that babies born at less than 23 weeks of age and 400g in weight are not considered viable.
"It may be that we need to reconsider our standard for viability in light of Amillia's case," said Smalling.
"Over the years, the technology that we have available to save these premature babies has improved dramatically. Today, we can save babies that would have never survived 10 years ago," he said. - Sapa-AFP