The parents of one of the smallest babies ever born in Australia have shared how their tiny baby has defied the odds to be allowed home.
Baby Mimi Marks weighed just 13oz when she was born in April at only 26 weeks – 14 weeks premature.
Since birth she has been cared at Monash Children’s Hospital but was finally discharged earlier this month.
‘Unbelievable’
Mimi now weighs a healthy 8lbs 13oz, but in her early stages had to fight off several infections and chronic lung disease.
Her mother Nelma said: “It’s unbelievable to see. We are really, really grateful to Monash. I have no words to explain, it’s beyond happiness”.
Dad Randall added: “Wow, she is small, tiny and it’s not much bigger than a coke can really. We’ve nicknamed her the little warrior through all this”.
The world’s smallest surviving baby born is an anonymous child nicknamed ‘Saybie’, who weighed just 8.6oz when she was born at 23 weeks in San Diego, California in December 2018.
23 weeks
Earlier this month, UK parents Tiffany and Matthew Bushell said they were “over the moon” with their baby Millie, born at 23 weeks.
They feared their daughter wouldn’t survive, but were overjoyed to take her home after almost four months in hospital.
In the UK, it is legal to have an abortion for most reasons up to 24 weeks, or up to birth when the unborn child is thought to have a disability.
Also see:
Baby born at 23 weeks can go home next month