Sunday, March 7, 2010
Smallest
Baby Boy - world record set by 'Tom Thumb'
GOETTINGEN, Germany -- 'Tom Thumb', a baby
who was born in June last year in the 25th week of pregnancy,
weighing just 275 grams, survived after he spent six months
in intensive care and was finally discharged in December after
growing to 3.7 kg , setting the world record for the Smallest
Baby Boy.
(enlarge
photo)
Doctors did not publicize the
world's Smallest Baby Boy at first due to his perilous
health.
The Smallest
Baby Boy in the world was kept on an incubator for
24 hours a day, breathing and eating with tubes and constantly
monitored. Now, weighing 8.2lbs, he has been allowed home
with his parents.
His true identity has been kept secret at his
parents' request.
Doctors usually believe that babies weighing below
12oz (350g) will not survive. A can of Coke weighs 12oz, meaning
the boy was weighed just three quarters of a can.
Stefan Weller, a spokesman for the University
of Goettingen Hospital said doctors had checked every available
record worldwide of premature births and found no viable birth
at a lower weight.
A spokesman for the university told
Sky News that doctors were "extremely proud" of the Smallest
Baby Boy in the world. "This was an incredible fight
for life," the spokesman added.
The hospital says they are now confident 'Tom
Thumb' will lead a normal, healthy life. A spokesman
said: 'The danger has passed. 'He was most vulnerable when
his organs were underdeveloped. Now he is the weight of a
normal baby and healthy in every way.'
Photo: Born after a mere 25
weeks, the Smallest
Baby Boy
in the world is so small that the tape measure laid next
to him is bigger than his limbs. He weighs a mere 9oz (275g)
and from head to toe is the length of a sheet of A4 paper.
(enlarge
photo)
While 'Tom Thumb,' as doctors nicknamed
him, is the most
premature boy to survive, there have been three more premature
girls born.
The most premature baby to survive, a girl born
in Miami in 2004, is thought to have been born after 21 weeks.
Experts advise doctors not to resuscitate babies
born before 23 weeks in the womb.
The previous Guinness world record for the
Smallest
Baby Boy is said to have been held by Tyler Martin
who was born in New Jersey, in the U.S., in 2004 weighing
11oz (320g).
Subscribe to our RSS
News feed to receive updates.
Related world records:
Smallest
Man - world record set by Wu Kang
Smallest
mother - Stacey Herald sets world record
Smallest
waist-world record set by Cathie Jung
Fattest
child-world record set by Dzhambik Khatokhov
Most
prolific surrogate mother-world record set by Carole Horlock
Sunday, March 7, 2010
|