Two 'youngest' pre-mature babies saved

A private hospital here today claimed that it has saved "youngest premature" twin girls, who weighed only 438 grams and 505 grams at the time of birth. Rajagiri Hospital authorities said the premature babies, the youngest reported to have ever survived in the country, were discharged after five months of successful treatment. The twin babies were born at just 22 weeks gestation at Rajagiri Hospital under the care of a group of doctors led by Senior Consultant and Head of Gynecology Dr V P Paily. The most critical care of the babies was under the supervision of Dr Madhu George, Head of Neonatology and for the first 100 days they were kept on ventilator support.

At discharge, the babies weighed around 2.3 kg, breathing normally (without any respiratory support) and able to breast feed normally, it said.