Smallest Baby in The World

 

In 2004, the smallest baby ever recorded came out into the world. Rumaisa Rahman was born on the 19th of September 2004 at the Loyola University Medical Center located in Chicago, Illinois.

Weighing only 244 grams, Rumaisa was described to be as small as a mobile phone when she was born. She holds the record as the world’s smallest baby to have been born and survived despite pregnancy complications and her tiny size.

But Rumaisa wasn’t born alone. She was born with a twin, who also tiny in size but relatively bigger than Rumaisa. Hima weighed only one pound and four ounces when she was born but unlike her twin sister, Hima got to go home in December of the same year whereas Rumaisa had to stay on until February of the following year.

Pregnancy Condition Leading to Early Birth

The twins’ mother, Mahajabeen Shaik who was twenty-three at the time, suffered from a condition called pre-eclampsia. 

Pre-eclampsia is a medical condition that occurs during pregnancy where the mother becomes hypertensive. High blood pressure appears to be the most significant cause of this medical condition although it is said that there are numerous causes that induce the condition.

This medical condition may develop around the 20th week of gestation although there have been known cases of post-partum pre-eclampsia as well. This is the most dangerous medical condition that a pregnant woman may experience during her pregnancy and it may have highly negative effects on both the unborn child and the mother if not resolved immediately.

When pre-eclampsia is present, the mother may need to undergo premature delivery of her unborn child via C-section or through induced labor. There is no known alternative to correct pre-eclampsia except through early delivery to prevent further endangering the lives of both the mother and the unborn baby. 

On the average, it is estimated that only ten percent of pregnant women experience pre-eclampsia. 

The Twins’ Early Birth

Due to this medical condition suffered by the twins’ mother, the twins were born during the 25th week of their mother’s pregnancy. Apart from their tiny size and an eye condition which was corrected through laser surgery, the twins appeared to be normal when they were born.

Incidentally, visual problems are common among babies born prematurely. As an aside, the hospital the twins were born in have delivered quite a few premature and tiny babies over the course of their service and these babies developed normally.

On the overall, the girls are expected to undergo normal growth and maturity.