Korea's lightest newborn goes home after 198 days in hospital
Published: 12 Nov. 2024, 14:01
Updated: 12 Nov. 2024, 18:46
The lightest newborn ever recorded in Korea has safely gone home 198 days after her birth.
Weighing in at just 260 grams (9.17 ounces), Ye-rang was born on April 22 at 25 weeks and five days of gestation. A full-term pregnancy typically lasts 40 weeks.
Ye-rang was an eagerly awaited gift for her parents, arriving three years after their marriage. However, her growth halted at 21 weeks due to complications.
The pregnancy was affected by intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia — a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organ systems. Ye-rang's mother was admitted to Samsung Hospital’s Maternal Fetal Intensive Care Unit (MFICU) — a specialized unit launched in 2014 to treat high-risk pregnancies — where she delivered Ye-rang.
Upon her birth, the tiny infant faced numerous severe challenges, including respiratory failure and septic shock, and required intensive treatments like ventilator support, antibiotics and blood transfusions.
However, with dedicated care from the hospital’s medical staff and weekly oral and physical rehabilitation, she gradually gained strength.
After six months in the hospital, Ye-rang was discharged on Nov. 5 and weighed in at 3.19 kilograms — over 10 times her birth weight, the hospital said on Tuesday.
According to a 2022 assessment by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the survival rate for infants under 500 grams is 36.8 percent, and for those under 300 grams like Ye-rang, it’s less than 1 percent, making Ye-rang’s safe return home nothing short of a miracle.
BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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