When it comes to extreme birth weight, the survival rate looks more promising if you are born larger than smaller. For example, premature babies are born with a low birth weight and lower life expectancy because of complications that often follow during an early delivery. In this article, you will learn about some of the babies that hold records for being the smallest and largest.
Tiny Babies
On May 20, 1987, James Elgin Gil came into the world in a hospital in Ottawa, Canada, but he was too early. Born at 21 weeks and 5 days into gestation, he was more than 18 weeks too early. The survival rates for premature babies born at 22 weeks are less than 10 percent. Because of this, there are many hospitals that refuse to give medical treatment to babies born before the 22-week mark. When James was born, he weighed 1.1 pounds (or 482 grams). This actually increased his chances for survival. In the end, he became the youngest surviving premature baby in the world.
James does not hold the title for tiniest baby ever born. Amillia Sonja Taylor of Florida was born on Oct 24, 2006, at 21 weeks and 6 days, but she only had a birth weight of 10 ounces (283 grams). The baby also only measured 9 ½ inches long. She was ushered to the intensive care unit, and wasn’t released from the hospital until 11 days before the actual due date. She then weighed 4 pounds , and was still on oxygen and taking asthma medication for her delicate lungs.
Other tiny babies around the world and in history include
Ӣ Madeline Mann , Born at 26 weeks, measured 24.13 centimeters long, and weighed 9.9 ounces.
Ӣ Rumaisa Rahman , Born at 25 weeks gestation, measured 20 centimeters long and weighed 8.6 ounces.
Largest Babies
When Sig Carmelina Fedele of Aversa, Italy gave birth, it was certainly a big event. She holds the record for birthing the heaviest (surviving) newborn in the world in September of 1955. The boy weighed 22 pounds 8 ounces (or 10.2 kilograms). After his birth, not much is known about his upbringing or whereabouts.
In second place, a boy born in September of 2009 holds the record for being the second largest birth. Weighing 19 pounds and 3 ounces, the name of the child was never released to the public. Details about his birth include that his mother was Indonesian and had a history of diabetes. Mothers who have issues with insulin tend to give birth to children with larger than average weight. She also had three previous children, who were also quite large at birth.