by Libby Cohen
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Around five months ago, Baby 'Sabie' – the name given to the micro preemie by her nurses – was born about the size of a soft ball. Her mere 8.6 ounces marked her as the world's smallest surviving baby.
"She's a miracle," Kim Norby, a nurse in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, said in a video posted by Sharp Healthcare. "That's for sure."
Born 23 weeks into term, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego revealed the new record as Sabie left the hospital this Wednesday weighing five pounds. While most babies are born after 40 weeks, Sabie weighed less than the average baby at 23 weeks.
Dr. Edward Bell from the University of Iowa confirmed Sabie's record as the university holds the Tiniest Babies Registry. Sabie surpassed the previous micro preemie in Germany by seven grams.
Before Sabie's recovery, her mother underwent an emergency C-section after doctors noticed Sabie was no longer growing and posed a threat to her mother, NPR reports.
"They told me they had to deliver her really quick," Sabie's mother said the video. "And I kept telling them she's not going to survive."
Doctors originally gave Sabie an hour. This hour eventually turned into a full five month recovery.
"She is the smallest baby," the mother said. "But she's mine."
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