Born just before 25 weeks gestation, and weighing a tiny 212g, this little girl was dubbed the world’s tiniest baby at birth. And then she kicked some serious preemie butt. Yu Xuan defied all the odds proving she might be small but by gosh she was mighty.
Let’s hear it for our lightest and mightiest babies – those who can’t wait a minute longer to enter the world. They’re our premature babies (preemies) and we really need to celebrate them!
The world’s tiniest surviving baby is born
On June 9, 2020, in the thick of our worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Yu Xuan’s mother, Madam Wong, gave birth to her by emergency C-section at Singapore’s National University Hospital (NUH). Diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, Wong gave birth four months early after being diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure that can damage vital organs and be fatal for both mother and baby.
Taking the record for tiniest baby, this little girl weighed just 212g when she was born. That’s around the same size as a Granny Smith apple. Eeek!
Madam Wong said that Yu Xuan’s birth and size came as an absolute shock considering her first child’s birth was a routine one with no problems.
“I didn’t expect to give birth so quickly, and we were very sad that Yu Xuan was born so small. But due to my condition, we didn’t have a choice. We could just hope that she would continue to grow (and be healthy),”
And so the heartwrenching road to recovery and growth began. Neo-natal unit nurses had to cut down newborn nappies to provide a custom fit for her teeny, tiny body, all the while protecting her paper-thin delicate skin.
Thirteen long anguishing months in hospital
Yu Xuan was admitted into the NUH Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and remained there for 13 long months, making her the longest staying baby there.
Her stay was not always smooth sailing, relying on multiple treatments and machines purely for survival. And yet defying the odds, time and time again Yu Xuan pulled through, remaining positive, active and cheerful for her entire stay.
From little things, big things grow!
Proving she is a little fighter, Yu Xuan went from weighing in at 212g last year to finally tipping the scales at 6.3kg just last month! With her health and development progressing well, she was finally discharged from the hospital #amazing
It’s reported that Yu Xuan though doing well, currently has chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. These two conditions are typical of extremely premature babies, but good news folks, she’s expected to get better with time. She’s currently also mastering how to drink from a bottle. Go Yu Xuan!
Preemie baby facts:
- Previous to Yu Xuan’s birth, the record holder for the tiniest surviving baby was a girl in the US who weighed 245g at birth in 2018, according to the University of Iowa’s Tiniest Babies Registry.
- In Australia, almost 1 in every 10 babies is born prematurely. Most Australian premature babies are born between 32 and 36 weeks and don’t suffer any serious long-term problems. If anything, they might just be a little lighter than their full-term peers.
- Premature babies born at less than 28 weeks and babies born with an extremely low birth weight of less than 1 kg have the highest risk of sensory development and growth problems. This risk increases if they also have medical complications during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
- Parents of preemie babies are braver and tougher than you’ll ever know. For a beautiful, personal story on celebrating our tiny fighters, check out Amy Purling’s own story: 1 in 10 Babies are Born Prematurely. It’s Time to Celebrate These Teeny, Tiny Little Fighters.
