A German baby born after only 21 weeks and five days in the womb
has equalled a world record for surviving premature infants, the
hospital said Saturday.
When Frieda was born on November 7 she measured 11 inches (28
centimetres) and weighed only one pound (460 grammes).
"In the specialist literature, other premature babies have been
lighter than her at birth, some even less than 300 grammes, but
there is no mention of a premature baby even younger than Frieda,"
the clinic in western Fulda said in a
communique.
A baby was born in Ottawa in 1987 at
exactly the same stage of its mother's pregnancy, the statement
said.
Frieda was discharged on Wednesday weighing 7.7 pounds (3.5
kilos) and measuring 50 centimetres (nearly 20 inches), the clinic
said.
Her twin brother Kilian died a few days after being born.
Professor Reinald Repp, director of the paediatric clinic, could
not be reached on Saturday, but a doctor on duty told AFP that
"there is no foreseeable risk of after-effects for the moment" and
that the little girl "should develop normally like any other
child."
Generally babies born before 22 weeks have no chance of
surviving because their lungs, heart and brain are not sufficiently
developed.
"Frieda was kept in a completely sterile environment, with her
breathing assisted and fed through her navel," Repp told the mass
circulation Bild newspaper.
Any baby born before eight months of pregnancy is considered
premature.
Very premature babies (less than 32 weeks) are considered at
high risk of suffering developmental problems.
-- AFP