World's Smallest Baby Born At San Diego Hospital

SAN DIEGO, CA – The world's smallest surviving baby in recorded history will continue her miraculous recovery at home Thursday after she was born at a San Diego hospital in December, weighing 8.6 ounces.

The baby, nicknamed Saybie, weighed 5.6 pounds and measured 16 inches when she was discharged from Sharp Mary Birch earlier this month, according to the hospital.

She was delivered by Caesarean section at 23 weeks gestation after doctors found that the mother suffered from pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening condition that causes very high blood pressure, and that the infant was not gaining weight.

At the time of her birth, Saybie -- at 245 grams -- weighed as much as a large apple or a child's juice box.

She also weighed seven grams less than the previous infant to be deemed the smallest surviving baby, who was born in Germany in 2015, according to the Tiniest Baby Registry at the University of Iowa.

Despite her miniscule size, she was not afflicted with medical issues like hemorrhaging and lung and heart maladies that often occur in babies born as premature and underweight as her, according to Sharp Healthcare.

"No one expects their baby to be born with complications," said Trisha Khaleghi, senior vice president and CEO at Sharp Mary Birch. "But when the unexpected occurs, Sharp Mary Birch is equipped with the latest technologies, equipment, research and specially trained experts to care for even the world's smallest baby."

Staff at Sharp Mary Birch, the largest maternity hospital in California, had to make adjustments to accommodate Saybie's 9-inch-long body, including special blood pressure cuffs and diapers as small as a table napkin.

Following her five-month stay in the hospital's level three neonatal intensive care unit, the infant is now resting at home happy and healthy, according to the hospital.

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--City News Service