Born weighing 260 g, Korea's smallest baby comes home as healthy infant

A baby weighing less than a large apple at birth has defied medical odds, heading home after six months of intensive care, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul said Tuesday.

Lee Ye-rang weighed a mere 260 grams when she was born on April 22 this year at just 25 weeks and five days, setting a record as South Korea's smallest surviving infant. A typical newborn weighs about 3.2 kilograms.

By the time of her discharge on Nov. 5, she weighed 3.19 kilograms. She was breathing on her own, without the aid of medical support, the Seoul general hospital that treated her since birth said.

Premature infants under 500 grams have just a 36.8 percent chance of survival, according to South Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. For babies as tiny as she was, weighing less than 300 grams, the survival rate drops to below 1 percent.

Ye-rang was born via emergency C-section after her mother developed severe pregnancy complications and was rushed to Samsung Medical Center’s high-risk pregnancy unit. The baby had stopped growing in the womb after 21 weeks.

That first month since birth saw one crisis after another as medical teams worked around the clock to keep Ye-rang alive. After overcoming multiple setbacks, the preemie began gaining weight steadily.

The baby’s recovery came through a collaborative effort of multiple specialists. Pediatric surgeons cleared a life-threatening intestinal blockage. Physiotherapists guided her neuromotor development, strengthening her muscles and reflexes. Eye doctors monitored the infant’s retinas closely, as vision problems are common among premature babies.