Preemie with 280 grams birth weight

Preemies with 280 grams birth weight survived

09/02/2011

A premature baby weighing only 280 grams at birth was well discharged from the hospital after a five-month hospital stay in Dortmund. Although the premature baby was born four months before the normal end of the pregnancy, at birth was only 22 inches tall and weighed only 280 grams, the little girl could now leave the clinic. After almost five months of treatment in the perinatal center of the Dortmund Hospital, the parents were able to take their little daughter home in good health.

280-gram premature born four months early
According to the attending physicians, the Dortmunder Frühchen is one of the smallest surviving premature babies in the world. Already after the 24th week of pregnancy the little girl was born, whereas normally a pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. In contrast to the 280 grams of body weight of the premature baby weigh in normal births an average of 3,500 grams and are 50 centimeters large, said the doctors. In the perinatal center, the little one has been nursed neatly in the past five months and has now been released from the hospital with more than 2,500 grams of body weight. While the premature baby had to be artificially ventilated and fed at the beginning, the baby now drinks mother's milk and has coped well with the first vaccinations, explained Prof. Dominik Schneider, director of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in Dortmund. Although the baby is still supplied with additional oxygen at home, but already come out for several hours without extra oxygen. According to Schneider, it is difficult to say how the little girl will develop, because that is „not foreseeable at release.“In his view, however, the development opportunities are at least as good as in premature babies with a birth weight of 800 to 1000 grams. The first weekend at home was definitely going well for the little one, explained dr. cutter.

More and more premature births in Germany
What would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago is today almost medical old days. Premature births are not only becoming more common, but also the chances of survival of premature babies have increased significantly in recent decades. According to the experts, every 14th birth before the 37th week of pregnancy (time limit for premature birth) takes place. However, there are also significant differences among premature births. Although most premature babies weigh less than 2,500 grams, surviving a baby weighing only 280 grams is still a small sensation today. The smallest boy who ever survived a premature birth, was born in 2009 in the Klinikum Göttingen with a birth weight of 275 grams. Initially, premature babies are generally characterized by intensive, in-patient medical care, which is a considerable stress test not only for the little ones but also for their parents. However, infants often develop better than expected after the first few weeks in the incubator.

Premature birth can lead to impaired development
However, various studies have shown that part-time premature births are accompanied by significant impairments of personal development for the children. For example, American studies suggest that children weighing less than 1,000 grams at birth are more likely to develop asthma later in life (21 percent vs. nine percent in the control group), motor disorders (47 percent vs. 10 percent), and impaired intelligence quotient (IQ below 85: 38 percent vs. 15 percent) suffer. In their study, the American researchers examined 219 former preemies at the age of eight and compared the results with a control group of normal births. All comparable studies show that it is ideal for infants to grow as long as possible in the womb, because there are the best conditions for development. But it will reassure many expectant mothers, knowing that even with a premature birth, the chances of survival of the premature babies thanks to the enormous medical progress today quite well. (Fp)

Picture: Andrea Damm