This story took place in Japan, where one special little boy’s birth captured the attention of worldwide news outlets. So what was so special about this birth? After all, babies are born on an everyday basis. For starters, he was born at the 24 week mark. When he was born, he weighed in at a mere nine and a half ounces. He was delivered by C-section.
The boy did not gain any weight during the gestation period. The doctors knew that they had to act quickly. If the boy had not been delivered when he was, it was believed that he would have perished inside of the womb. This is truly a miracle for the ages. After his birth, he could fit inside of a pair of cupped hands. The doctors placed him in a neonatal intensive care unit.
It took awhile but he was eventually able to breastfeed. He spent five months being monitored by professionals before being released. In this time, he was finally able to gain weight. By the time he went home, he weighed in at roughly seven pounds. The boy’s mother is absolutely delighted. She admits that she was not sure if the child would be able to survive.
Mini miracle:
— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 27, 2019
A baby born in Tokyo weighing just 286 grams – the same as a large onion – has gone home healthy after 5 months' treatment https://t.co/ZspjUmLv7l
???? The baby boy 5 days – then 5 months after birth pic.twitter.com/Hoio7I0HsF
There are not many mothers out there who would have been able to endure this type of birth. Her resilience is certainly remarkable. The Department of Paediatrics at Keio University Hospital also deserves some kudos. This may have been the smallest child ever born at the hospital but they want this story to serve as inspiration for other parents.
Even if a child is born underweight, they can still live a happy and healthy life. According to the record books, this little boy beat out the last record holder by just six grams. Girls are born underweight tend to have a higher survival rate than their male counterparts. This special little boy is here to turn the tide, though.
Modern science is amazing, isn’t it? A few short years, children like these would have never had a chance to survive once they left the hospital. Now, even the smallest babies are being given the tools that they need to thrive once they are given back to their families. We wish this little boy and his family all of the best going forward. This is one child who is going to have an amazing story to tell.
