She’s one of the world’s smallest babies ever to survive and was born weighing less than a bar of chocolate….
The baby, whose name is Manushi, came into the world weighing just 0.88lbs (399g) – just under the weight of a large bar of Cadbury’s chocolate after she arrived 12 weeks early.
She measured just 8.6 inches long, her foot was also the size of her father’s thumbnail.
After the mother had to undergo an emergency c-section, Manushi was born not breathing, along with paper-thin skin as well as underdeveloped organs.
After she was given a 0.5 percent chance of surviving without brain damage, Manushi has gone against all odds – with doctors saying that she appears intellectually normal.
The infant is now being discharged from hospital after six months of treatment, though she still weighs a tiny 5.2lbs.
The mother, 48-year-old Seeta, and father, 50-year-old Giriraj, said: “She’s just fought and fought and fought against all the odds, but she’s made it.”
Seeta apparently suffered dangerously high blood pressure during her pregnancy, and an ultrasound showed that there was a concerning absence of blood flow to the foetus.
Seeta then had to have an emergency caesarean just 28 weeks into her pregnancy.
Manushi was immediately rushed to Jivanta Children’s Hospital NICU and in the first few days of her life, she actually lost even more weight – but after 7 weeks, she was thankfully able to start taking milk.
Dr Sunil Janged, hospital director at Jivanta Children’s Hospital NICU, said: “When the baby was born, we were uncertain of what could happen.
“She was struggling to breathe, so was immediately put on advanced respiratory support ventilator to expand her tiny, immature lungs.
“She could not be fed adequately due to immaturity of her gut.
“We had to start the baby on total parenteral nutrition, which basically means giving all the essential nutrients, such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, multivitamins and trace elements, directly into blood circulation.”
Manushi’s medical treatment would have normally cost 1 million rupees ($15,700), but due to the family’s low income, Jivanta Children’s Hospital decided to massively reduce the bill.
The hospital also wanted the reduction in costs to send a positive message out to the local community.
“We decided to save the life of the baby and offer her necessary medical care and attention because we wanted to send out a message that a girl child must be protected,” Dr Janged said.
“In a state like Rajasthan where female infanticide is rampant, people have to come forward and take step to end this evil practice.”
Dr Ajay Gambhir, former president of National Neonatology Forum of India, added: “We are grateful to Seeta and her family. We appreciate them for setting a new example to the community.
“In Rajasthan the girls [like this] are still considered a burden, and are thrown in the trash immediately after birth or are left in the orphanage.
“Seeta and the hospital staff treated this baby girl, despite her having negligible chance of survival.”