A baby,
thought to be the world’s smallest at birth, was discharged from a hospital in
Singapore after 13 months of intensive treatment recently. The baby girl, named
Kweek Yu Xuan, measured 24 centimeters long at birth and measures only 212
grams, reports the BBC.

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The baby
was delivered prematurely, at just under 25 weeks, way short of the average 40.
Until now, the world’s smallest baby on record was a girl born in the United
States who weighed 245 grams at birth, according to University of Iowa’s
Tiniest Babies Registry.

Yu Xuan was
born this early through emergency C-section because the baby’s mother was diagnosed
with pre-eclampsia, a dangerously high blood pressure that can cause damage to
vital organs and be fatal for both the mother and the baby.  

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Following Yu
Xuan’s discharge, the Singapore hospital which treated her issued a statement
saying, “Against the odds, with health complications present at birth, she has
inspired people around her with her perseverance and growth, which makes her an
extraordinary COVID-19 baby.”

Xi Yuan’s health
has improved significantly now and she currently weighs 6.3 kilograms. At
birth, she had a “limited chance of survival”, said doctors at the National
University Hospital (NUH).

Doctors say
that the baby’s health and development progressed well under their care but she
still has a chronic lung disease and will need help breathing on her one.

NUH doctors
maintained that the child has a good chance of getting better.

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Yu Xuan’s
mother Wong Mei Ling told local media that she was shocked at Yu Xuan’s birth
and her size because her first-born child born four years ago was delivered at
term.

Yu Xuan’s
parents were struggling to pay for her medical expenses and initiated a crowdfunding
campaign for her treatment. The campaign reportedly raised $270,627.