When his mother went to the University Hospital of Göttingen (Germany) with pregnancy complications, the prognosis didn’t look great for this tiny baby boy (pictured above at 5 days old). After delaying birth as long as possible, doctors decided that the baby was at serious risk and decided to perform a C-section — at just 25 weeks gestation.
At birth, he weighed just 9.7 ounces and was 10.6 inches long. Despite his tiny size, this little guy has beaten the odds.
He's a fighter — and he's lucky. From the beginning, his breathing and heartbeat were stable, so his parents could be with him and hold him. Plus, “he was fortunate not to have severe complication like brain bleeding or life-threatening infections” that can sometimes affect micropreemies, says Dr. Stephan Seeliger, a neonatologist and senior physician at the University Hospital of Göttingen.
More than ten times his birth weight
The little boy (pictured at right at 4 months old) began to catch up quickly, developing at an amazing rate. After six months in intensive care, he was able to go home with his family in Eichsfeld, Germany, weighing about eight pounds: an increase of more than ten times his birth weight. He still gets regular medical checkups and therapy to help develop his neurological and motor skills, but both mother and child are doing fine.
Medical advances have dramatically improved survival rates for extremely premature babies. Studies show that with rapid response and a high level of care, preemie babies can grow up to have perfectly normal, healthy, happy lives. This little boy is just one story of hope for anyone who has ever been affected by premature birth.
Photos copyright and courtesy Univerity Hospital of Göttingen.
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